CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- DeQuan Abrom scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half and Sean Halloran and Romeao Ferguson each topped double figures, leading Belmont Abbey to an 85-73 victory over cross-town rival Johnson C. Smith Wednesday night.

With the win, the Crusaders improve to 2-1 overall, while the Golden Bulls were playing their season opener.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Abrom connected on six of eight from the field, including four of five from three-point range, in the opening period. He also chipped in seven rebounds.
• Halloran finished with 16 points and a season-high seven assists, while Ferguson added 15 points and five boards.
• Charles Solomon just missed his second double-double of the year, registering 13 points and nine boards.
• Belmont Abbey shot 46.3 percent for the contest (53.6 before intermission) and held a 36-29 rebounding advantage.
• The difference in the game came from beyond the arc, where The Abbey connected on 11 of 20 (55.0 percent).
• Belmont Abbey built a 19-point lead, 72-53, on a Ferguson three, but Johnson C. Smith closed to within nine by the 2:30 mark.
• The Crusaders hit seven of eight free throws in the final 91 seconds to preserve the victory.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey returns home on Saturday at face Young Harris.
• The contest at the Wheeler Center begins at 4 p.m.