CENTRAL, S.C. — The Belmont Abbey women's basketball team capped the opening weekend of the regular season with a 70-52 victory over Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon at Southern Wesleyan's Tysinger Gymnasium. The contest was the second game of the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Challenge. 

Riley James and Leigha Dennison led the way scoring for the Crusaders, finishing with 12 points each. Freshman Bella Martin added nine points to go with seven rebounds and a blocked shot while Shular had eight.  

The Crusaders improve to 2-0 following Saturday's win while the Wasps are 1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Belmont Abbey took control early leading by as many as 16 points in the first quarter.
• Dennison and James accounted for the first points of the second quarter for the Crusaders.
• The Crusaders held a 35-15 lead at the break.
• Belmont Abbey kept up its strong run of play with a 10-4 run to begin the second half highlighted by 3-pointers from James and Martin.
• The Abbey's largest lead in the contest was 28 points thanks to a 7-2 run highlighted by a 3-pointer from Reagan Iovino.
• Belmont Abbey made six three-pointers on the afternoon.
• Emory & Henry went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter but Belmont Abbey went 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to close the game out.
• The Crusaders finished 24-of-28 from the free throw line and outrebounded the Wasps 42-35.
• Brielle George finished with six rebounds and two blocks defensively.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey will open the home schedule with a contest against Anderson.
• The game will tip off at 5 p.m. from the Wheeler Center.