FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. — Riley James tallied her third career-double and two other Crusaders finished in double figures as Belmont Abbey erased a 20-point deficit en route to a 63-58 win over Emmanuel Thursday evening at the Shaw Athletic Center.

The Crusaders were down by as many as 20 points in the first half and 16 points at halftime but an 18-4 fourth quarter helped the Abbey complete the comeback. Additionally, Belmont Abbey kept Emmanuel scoreless over the final 6:15 of the contest.

James finished with 16 points 10 rebounds and seven assists in the win, including a pair of free throws with 5.5 seconds remaining to seal the win. Madison Lusk added 13 points while Sofia McNabb had 12 off the bench. McNabb made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining in the contest.

The win marks the fourth straight for the Crusaders, who improve to 14-4 overall and 9-2 in Conference Carolinas play on the season. Emmanuel is now 10-8 overall and 5-7 in league play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Leigha Dennison got the Crusaders on the board in the opening possession but were shut out after that after they finished 1-of-16 from the field in the first quarter.
• The Crusaders began to chip away with a 10-4 run to start the second quarter and got within 11 points but the Lions answered with an 8-0 run to push the lead back up.
• The Lions made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to push the lead back to 36-20.
• Emmanuel pushed the lead up to 18 points but the Crusaders outscored the Lions 16-7 to get within single digits at the end of the third quarter.
• The run included two 3-pointers from Lusk to cut the deficit.
• A quick 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter got Belmont Abbey to within three at 54-51.
• Trailing by seven, Belmont Abbey chipped away thanks to a basket from McNabb and a 3-pointer from Ava Fulkerson.
• Janiah Shular tied the game thanks to a pair of free throws with 2:10 remaining. She finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
• McNabb's 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining pulled Belmont Abbey ahead made three defensive stops in the final minute to help seal the win.
• The Crusaders matched a season-best with eight 3-pointers made, six of which came in the second half.
• Belmont Abbey out-rebounded Emmanuel 37-24 and had eight different players record a steal.
• The 13 turnovers for Belmont Abbey is a season low.
• It is the second time this season that Belmont Abbey has erased a double-digit second half deficit in a win after defeating Lees-McRae in overtime earlier this season.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey concludes its three-game road trip with a contest at Northwest Division rival King.
• Tip-off is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start from the Student Events Center in Bristol, Tenn.