BELMONT, N.C. — The Belmont Abbey women's basketball team sent off its senior class a winner thanks to a 72-44 victory over Mount Olive Saturday afternoon at the Wheeler Center.

Four seniors — Ivana Bijic, Cate Schieber, Peyton Nation and Abigail Crain — were honored in a pregame ceremony.

Nation recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals and a blocked shot. Bijic finished with nine points and four rebounds in her first start with Belmont Abbey. Schieber had seven points and two steals.

Belmont Abbey improves to 21-5 overall and 15-3 in Conference Carolinas play. Mount Olive is now 3-20 overall and 2-16 in the league.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Crain, who suffered a season-ending injury earlier this season, started the game and scored the opening basket before being replaced.
• All four seniors accounted for the first points of the game as Belmont Abbey started on a 9-2 run.
• The Crusaders led 26-20 after a fast-paced first quarter.
• Belmont Abbey held Mount Olive to six points in the second quarter as the first three field goals of the quarter came from 3-point range. Leigha Dennison made two three-pointers in the quarter.
• The Crusaders scored the first 10 points of the third quarter while holding Mount Olive scoreless for nearly the first seven minutes of the half.
• Riley James led the team with five assists and six rebounds for Belmont Abbey in the win.
• Belmont Abbey matched a season-high with 15 steals with three each coming from Nation and Bijic.
• The Crusaders finished with 27 points off of 23 Mount Olive turnovers.
• The Abbey also had a 39-35 advantage in rebounds.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey continues its busy closing stretch of the season with the final home game of the regular season Monday against Emmanuel.
• The contest is a rescheduled game from January 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Wheeler Center.