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Leigha Dennison
62
Winner Belmont Abbey BAC 14-2,8-0 Conference Carolinas
58
UNC Pembroke UNCP 14-4,8-2 Conference Carolinas
Winner
Belmont Abbey BAC
14-2,8-0 Conference Carolinas
62
Final
58
UNC Pembroke UNCP
14-4,8-2 Conference Carolinas
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Belmont Abbey BAC 15 15 11 21 62
UNC Pembroke UNCP 15 9 22 12 58

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Fourth-Quarter Rally Lifts No. 21 Crusaders Past UNCP

PEMBROKE, N.C. — Abigail Crain scored a season-high 23 points while Peyton Nation and Leigha Dennison finished with 19 and 11 points, respectively, as No. 21/25 Belmont Abbey defeated UNC Pembroke 62-58 Saturday afternoon at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
 
Trailing 46-41 entering the fourth quarter, the Crusaders scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and outscored the Braves 12-7 over the final 4:18 to secure the win.
 
Crain added six rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot while Riley James led the team with four assists.
 
The win is the 12th straight for the Crusaders, who improve to 14-2 overall and 8-0 in Conference Carolinas play. UNC Pembroke is now 14-4 overall and 7-2 in the league.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The first quarter was evenly matched as Crain and Nation accounted for the first 12 Belmont Abbey points of the contest.
  • The Crusaders took control in the second quarter and used an 8-2 run to take the lead. Belmont Abbey led by as many as seven points and led 30-24 at the half after a Riley James basket late in the quarter.
  • The Abbey pushed the lead up to seven before UNC Pembroke recaptured the lead with a 16-6 run in the third quarter. The Braves held a five-point lead entering the final 10 minutes.
  • Dennison scored seven of her career-high 11 points in the fourth quarter starting with a three-point play on the Crusaders' first possession of the period.
  • UNCP pushed the lead back to five with 8:41 remaining but the Abbey captured the lead for good with a run of 11 unanswered points.
  • Nation's basket with 4:18 remaining gave the Crusaders a 52-51 lead. The defense held UNC Pembroke without a field goal for over eight minutes.
  • The Braves got back within three points with less than a minute left but Crain's layup with less than 30 seconds remaining pushed the Abbey lead back to five.
  • James, Dennison and Cate Schieber each made free throws as the Crusaders wrapped up the win.
  • Belmont Abbey forced 20 UNCP turnovers.
MOVING ON UP
  • With the 23-point effort, Crain moves to 16th in program history with 1,281 career points, passing Courtney Naquin (1,266).
  • She is just behind Kelsey Long (1,283) for 15th all-time.
 
UP NEXT
  • The Crusaders face a quick turnaround and face Southern Wesleyan at 5 p.m. Monday in Central, S.C.
  • Belmont Abbey defeated the Warriors 82-44 at the Wheeler Center back on November 30.
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