SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Belmont Abbey women's basketball team had four Crusaders in double figures scoring and used a 20-6 run over the final seven-plus minutes of the game to earn a 72-59 win over Converse Saturday afternoon at the Weisiger Center.

Kallie Lusk led Belmont Abbey with 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half, and five rebounds while Madison Lusk had 13 points. Additionally, Brielle George recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Leigha Dennison had 10 points.

It is the fifth win in a row for Belmont Abbey, who improves to 7-1 on the season and is 3-0 in Conference Carolinas play. Converse is now 0-9 overall and 0-4 in the league.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Janiah Shular accounted for three of the first five points of the game for Belmont Abbey. She finished with a career-high 18 rebounds on the day.
• Converse led by seven points midway through the first quarter but the Crusaders answered with an 11-6 run to get back within a point at the end of the first quarter.
• The Crusaders opened up a four-point lead in the second quarter with a 7-2 run with baskets from Ava Fulkerson, Leigha Dennison and Madison Lusk.
• Brielle George gave the Crusaders a pair of baskets on the bench to give the Abbey a 28-24 lead.
• Converse had an 8-3 run to close the half to take a 1-point lead into the locker room.
• Kallie Lusk accounted for nine of the 16 points in the third quarter for the Abbey.
• Madison Lusk opened the fourth quarter with one of her three 3-pointers while Kallie converted a three-point play to give the Crusaders the lead.
• After a Converse jump shot gave the Valkyries the lead, Bella Martin made a jumper with 7:14 to go to start the closing run and give the Crusaders the lead for good.
• A three-point play from George and a Lusk layup gave the Crusaders their largest lead at the time of six points.
• Converse answered with a 3-pointer but the Abbey was able to close the game out with a 13-3 run.
• Belmont Abbey finished with 59 rebounds and had three in double figures in rebounds: Shular, George and Riley James.
• James finished with 10 rebounds to go with five assists and three steals.
• The Crusaders finished with a 45-1 advantage in points off the bench.

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders return home for a pair of contests before the Christmas break.
• Belmont Abbey hosts Lees-McRae at 5 p.m. Tuesday for a Conference Carolinas contest at the Wheeler Center.
• The Crusaders will then host Augusta at 2 p.m. next Saturday.