Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – Playing as the top seed in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, the King University men's basketball team went up against a tough eighth seed in Belmont Abbey College. The Crusaders controlled the glass and escaped the Student Center Complex with a 82-74 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 8 Belmont Abbey 82, No. 1 King 74
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 19-10; Belmont Abbey 11-18
HOW IT HAPPENED
- King got off to a good start, opening up a 13-8 lead following a Mack Owens layup, but the Crusaders used a 12-4 lead to gain the lead.
- The teams traded the lead two more times until Crusaders went on an 8-1 run, taking a 31-24 advantage.
- King cut their deficit to one at 33-32, but Belmont Abbey closed the half on a 15-6 run, including a triple to beat the halftime buzzer and take a 48-38 lead at the break.
- Belmont Abbey shot 62.1 percent from the floor in the opening half while the Tornado shot 39.3 percent.
- The Crusaders started the second half the same way the ended the first, opening up a 54-39 advantage, their largest of the contest.
- Their lead stay in double figures until Kalen Clifton tried to get the King offense going with a pair of free throws a triple. That cut the Tornado deficit to 62-55 midway through the stanza.
- However, the Crusaders had an answer with a pair of free throws.
- King continued to chip away, but Belmont Abbey always had an answer or would grab an offensive rebound to extend their possession.
- Jordan Floyd cut the Tornado deficit to 69-67 with six minutes remaining, the lead stayed within three possessions the remainder of the contest.
- After Belmont Abbey stretched their lead back to eight, Floyd drilled a triple, to pull the Tornado back within three.
- However, the Crusaders scored the final five points of the game to take the contest 82-74.
- Floyd led four Tornado scorers in double figures with 25 points.
- Clifton followed with 15 points, going 9-for-11 from the free throw line.
- Owens added 13 points and seven rebounds while Mike Salomon added 12 points and five rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- DeQuan Abrom led Belmont Abbey with 28 points and Jacob Wilson added 15 points.
- Markel Pollard and Ben Ferguson chipped in with nine points apiece.
