BELMONT, N.C. – The King University men's basketball team fell behind Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday night. The Tornado made a run late to pull within five, but couldn't take the lead as the Crusaders held on for the 89-79 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Belmont Abbey 89, King 79
LOCATION: Wheeler Center; Belmont, N.C.
RECORDS: King 9-16, 5-11 Conference Carolinas; Belmont Abbey 11-15, 9-7 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- Mikhail Pocknett sparked an early 9-0 Tornado run with a layup as Seth Cullen followed with a triple.
- Amarius Beasley and Pocknett capped the spurt with baskets to give King a 13-8 lead five minutes into the contest.
- However, Belmont Abbey scored the next seven points to regain a 15-13 lead.
- The teams then went back-and-forth before a 9-0 Belmont Abbey run broke a tie at 17.
- A Josh Jackson layup ended the spurt with six minutes remaining in the half.
- Belmont Abbey used another 7-0 run to take a 35-21 lead as the Crusaders extended that lead and held a 45-30 lead at the half.
Second Half
- King got off to a solid start, scoring seven of the first nine points in the second half, pulling within 49-37 on a Pocknett layup three minutes into the half.
- However, Belmont Abbey answered with five straight points to regain a 17-point advantage.
- The Crusaders held the lead between 15-20 as they had an answer each time the Tornado tried to make a run until the final five minutes.
- The Tornado scored seven straight to pull within 77-66 on a Jordan Akal three-point play.
- A Cam George triple cut the King deficit to single digits before a Cullen trifecta pulled King within 84-76 with 39 seconds remaining.
- King the forced a turnover as Pocknett converted a three-point play to cut the King deficit to 84-79 with 35 seconds to go.
- However, the Tornado couldn't get any closer as the Crusaders closed out the 89-79 win at the free throw line.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Pocknett scored a game-high 30 points and added eight rebounds.
- Kenny Turner scored 15 points and added 11 rebounds while George chipped in with 12 points.
FOR THE FOES
- Jaylon Simpson led Belmont Abbey with 21 points and eight rebounds.
- Mason Taylor added 19 points while Wade Jackson chipped in with 14 points.
- The Crusaders shot 74.4 percent from the free throw line, going 32-for-43 from the charity strip.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Pocknett posted his second game with at least 30 points, the other coming on November 16 when he scored 33 points in double overtime at Emory & Henry College.
- The double-double for Turner is his seventh of the season.
UP NEXT
- The Tornado travel to Francis Marion University on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Florence, S.C.
- Belmont Abbey travels to Emmanuel University on Saturday.
