BELMONT, N.C. – Senior guard Taylor Stelley posted a career-high night in scoring as the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team pulled away for a 77-61 victory over King in Conference Carolinas play Tuesday night at the Wheeler Center.
 
Stelley scored a career-high 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, to help the Crusaders bounce back from their first conference loss of the season. Additionally, Peyton Nation recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Abigail Crain finished with 14 points and six rebounds while Riley James had 11 points and a game-high five assists off the bench for The Abbey.
 
With the win, the Crusaders earned a bye to Spartanburg and a Top-4 seed for the 2023 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Tournament.
 
Belmont Abbey improves to 18-4 overall and 15-1 in the league. King falls to 5-18 overall, 5-10 in the conference.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Crusaders used a 7-0 run in the first quarter to capture an early lead after King made the opening basket of the contest.
• Stelley and Nation accounted for 17 of Belmont Abbey's 23 points in the second quarter.
• The 25 points scored in the third quarter matches a season best total that was previously achieved Converse back on November 22, 2022.
• The Crusaders led by as many as 20 points late in the contest. It is the ninth time this season that the team has led by as 20-plus points at any point in the game.
• Cate Schieber hadthree steals to spark the defensive effort. It is the sixth time this season she has recorded three or more steals in a game this year.
• Belmont Abbey outrebounded King 39-26 in the contest.
• The Crusaders finished with 16 assists, one shy of the season high team total set back on November 22 and December 3, 2022, against Converse and Francis Marion, respectively.

NATIONALLY RANKED

• Earlier in the day, the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team was ranked No. 22 in the latest D2SIDA National Rankings.
• The Crusaders are in the poll for the third straight week and were ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region poll that was released Monday.

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders go on the road for their longest road trip of the season against Chowan at 4 p.m. Saturday in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
• Belmont Abbey defeated Chowan 66-55 back on January 15.
• The Abbey plays its final home game of the regular season against Erskine at 5 p.m. next Wednesday at the Wheeler Center.