SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Mason Taylor scored 19 points, hitting seven-of-14 attempts, but a combination of an off-night shooting by Belmont Abbey and 13 three-pointers from No. 2 seed Emmanuel led the Lions to a 77-60 victory over the fourth-seeded Crusaders in the championship game of the 2023 Atlantic Casualty Insurance Conference Carolinas Tournament.

Emmanuel (23-7 and winners of 16 straight) earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, while The Abbey closes the year at 19-12.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Charles Solomon also reached double figures with 10 points, while adding in team-bests for rebounds (eight) and assists (three). He also had another block, extending the career record he set last night to 119.
• Emmanuel shot 55.3 percent for the game, third-highest by an opponent, while hitting 13 of 20 (65.0 percent) from three-point range.
• Convesely, Belmont Abbey shot 42.3 percent overall and 38.9 percent from three-point range.
• With The Abbey ahead 8-7, Emmanuel went on a 14-0 run -- second-longest by an opponent all season -- to open a 21-8 lead at the 10:26 mark.
• The margin reached 19 points -- 33-14 -- before the Crusaders answered with a 12-0 run of its own, closing to 33-26 with 1:54 to play. The half ended 40-28.
• In the second half, Emmanuel stretched the lead to 22 in the first five minutes and the Crusaders never challenged again.
• The championship game appearance was The Abbey's sixth straight, starting with the 2018 tournament. During that span, the Crusader won three titles.
• Belmont Abbey fell to 8-2 all-time in games at Jerry Richardson Arena on the Wofford campus.
• Mason Taylor and Charles Solomon were named to the all-tournament team.