Postgame Press Conference
SPARTANBURG, S.C. --
Quest Aldridge scored 30 points and Belmont Abbey shot 62.0 percent from the field, leading the third-seeded Crusaders to a 108-73 victory over No. 6 seed Barton in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Tournament Friday afternoon.
With the win, The Abbey improves to 20-9 overall on the season and advances a semifinal game against No. 2 seed Emmanuel tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The game is a rematch of last year's tournament championship game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Aldridge's point total was just one shy of his career high at King on Feb. 4, 2021. He added six rebounds, five assists and three steals, all team highs.
- Five other players topped double figures -- led by Sean Halloran with 16 and Chandler Baker with 13. LJ McCoy and Ryan Maslow added 11 each, while KJ Garrett chipped in 10.
- Bosko Bojovic tied for the team rebounding lead with six.
- The Crusaders shot 60.6 percent from the field in the opening half, then 63.2 percent after intermission. The shooting marked the 39th and 40th times in 58 halves this season above 50 percent.
- The contest was tight in the first 10 minutes until a 16-5 run turned a 22-18 lead into 38-23 with 3:37 remaining.
- A 22-9 surge over the first 6:23 of the second half pushed the lead to 28, with the final margin of 35 being the biggest of the contest.
- The Abbey topped 100 points for the 10th time this season, including five times in the last seven games.
UP NEXT
- The semifinal game against Emmanuel takes place at 2:30 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Wofford's campus.
- This marks the fourth straight year that the teams have met in the league tournament with the Crusaders taking the last two.
- The Lions swept the season series -- 84-79 (2ot) in Belmont and 95-89 in Franklin Springs.
