BRISTOL, Tenn. — Leigha Dennison tallied a career-high 14 points — 12 coming after halftime — as the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team overcame a halftime deficit to earn a 48-36 win over King Tuesday at the Student Center Complex.
 
In addition, the sophomore guard finished with five rebounds, three steals and added a blocked shot.
 
Peyton Nation was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds and Riley James added nine points with four rebounds.
 
With the win, Belmont Abbey clinched a share of the Northwest Division title and have a chance to clinch it outright next week with a home win against Converse.
 
The Crusaders improved to 19-4 overall, 13-2 in Conference Carolinas and a perfect 6-0 in Northwest Division play. King is 10-13 overall, 8-8 in the conference and 2-5 in the division.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Belmont Abbey got off to a good start thanks to a 10-2 run to open the game.
• The Crusaders allowed just one field goal in the first quarter which came with four seconds left in the quarter.
• Both teams exchanged 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the third quarter but Belmont Abbey trailed 16-15 at the break.
• Leigha Dennison accounted for the first four points of the second half for Belmont Abbey as the Crusaders captured the lead.
• After King took the lead a 20-19 lead, a 3-pointer from Madison Lusk gave the Crusaders the lead for good as part of a 15-4 run to close the third quarter.
• Dennison scored the first basket of the fourth quarter as the Crusaders began to pull away for the win.
• Belmont Abbey's largest lead was 15 points and had a 28-8 advantage in points in the paint.
• The Crusaders outrebounded the Tornado 41-27.

 
UP NEXT

• The Crusaders wrap up their three-game road trip with a contest at Southwest Division leader Shorter on Saturday.
• The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip in Rome, Georgia.