BELMONT, N.C. -- Senior Jaylon Simpson tallied 21 points and eight rebounds -- both team highs -- and two other topped double figures in scoring, leading Belmont Abbey to an 89-79 victory over King in Conference Carolinas men's basketball action Wednesday night. Combined with Converse's overtime loss to Lees-McRae, the Crusaders claim the outright Northwest Division title.

The Abbey improves to 11-15 overall and 9-7 in league play, while the Tornado falls to 9-16, 5-11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Simpson hit five of nine from the field -- including three three-pointers -- and eight of 11 from the charity stripe for his total, which was just one shy of equaling his career-best. His rebound total tied his career high.
• Mason Taylor tallied 19 point and grabbed four rebounds before fouling out late, while Wade Jackson added 14 points, 11 of which came in the second half.
• DJ Holloway led the team in assists with six, while also scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds.
• Belmont Abbey shot 44.4 percent (24 of 54) from the field overall, while holding King to 39.7 percent (27 of 68), including 33.3 percent in the opening period.
• King reversed an 8-6 early deficit with seven straight points, only to see The Abbey used its own 7-0 run to move ahead for good. BAC led by as many as 22 points with just under eight minutes to play, although the Tornado closed to within five with 35.7 seconds remaining.
• The Crusaders hit 32 of 43 overall at the free-throw line, including five of eight in the final 34 seconds. The 43 free throw attempts rank second all-time in school history, trailing only Mount Olive (45 on Jan. 26, 2016).

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey closes out the regular season with a pair of road games.
• The run begins Saturday at Emmanuel, which eked out a 73-70 victory in Belmont last month.