JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- Mason Taylor scored 25 points and Kyle Fraser added 22 but it was not enough as Carson Newman earned a 98-87 victory over Belmont Abbey in non-conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon.

The Abbey falls to 3-9 overall as it wraps up it the 2023 portion of its schedule. The Eagles improve to 9-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Taylor topped 20 points for the fourth time this season, all in the last five games. He made 11 of 20 shot attempts from the field, wow also grabbing five rebounds.
• Frazier was perfect on all eight of his field-goal attempts, six of which came from beyond the three-point circle.
• D.J. Holloway dished out a team-best five assists and fell just one point short of double-figure scoring with nine.
• Darius Kane led the Crusaders' rebounding efforts with seven. He also added eight points to the scoring tally.
• The Abbey shot an even 50 percent after intermission, closing the contest at 49.3 percent. Carson-Newman countered at 62.7 percent from the field.
• The Crusaders had a season-low five turnovers, but were outrebounded 35-28
• Belmont Abbey scored the first 11 points of the game, the fifth time this season it has engineered a double-digit scoring run.
• Carson-Newman closed out the first half on a 16-3 run, turning a 28-22 deficit into a 38-31.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey returns to Conference Carolinas play on Wednesday with a trip to Northwest Division rival King.
• The Crusaders and Tornado face off at 7:30 in Bristol, Tenn.