BELMONT, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey women's basketball team earned its 13th straight win thanks to a 52-43 victory over Emmanuel in a Conference Carolinas matchup Wednesday at the Wheeler Center.
Abigail Crain led the Crusaders with a team-high 16 points followed by
Riley James with 12 points off the bench.
Taylor Stelley also finished in double figures with 10 and went 8 for 10 from the free-throw line to lead the team in that category.
Belmont Abbey moves to 15-3 on the season and 12-0 in Conference Emmanuel dropped to 10-6, 9-3 in the league.
Additionally, the win clinched a spot in the Conference Carolinas tournament for the team scheduled to begin at the end of February.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams battled back and forth early as a 8-2 run midway through the first quarter gave the Crusaders an 13-8 lead.
- Belmont Abbey held Emmanuel to just five points in the second quarter. It's the fewest points allowed by the team in the second quarter of any game this season.
- James scored eight of her 12 points after halftime.
- A 10-3 run late in the third quarter helped The Abbey push the lead to 37-26. The 11-point margin was the largest lead of the game for the Crusaders.
- Stelley made seven free throws in the fourth quarter to help Belmont Abbey put the game away. The senior guard has finished in double figures scoring in 16 of 18 games this season.
- The Crusaders went 16 of 18 from the free-throw line. The team led all of Division II in free-throw shooting percentage at 82.7 percent.
- Peyton Nation finished with six points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench.
- Cate Schieber had a career-best three blocks to lead the Crusaders in that defensive category.
- The Crusaders forced 23 Lions turnovers in the win, marking a new season high.
- It is the seventh time in 12 conference games that The Abbey has held its opponents to under 50 points.
UP NEXT
- The Belmont Abbey women's basketball heads away from Belmont for a two-game South Carolina road swing.
- The Crusaders face Converse at 2 p.m. Saturday in Spartanburg followed by a game against Erskine at 5 p.m. Feb. 1 in Due West.
- Belmont Abbey defeated Converse 79-37 back on November 22, 2022 in the Conference Carolinas opener.