Belmont Abbey junior guard Kelsey Long scored a career-high 31 points as the Crusaders women's basketball team never trailed in a 60-52 win over the visiting Queens Royals this evening at the Wheeler Center. The win evens the Abbey record at 7-7 overall and 6-4 in Conference Carolinas, while the Royals drop to 8-6 overall and 6-4 in Conference Carolinas.

Belmont Abbey assistant coach Brittany Spivey served as the acting head coach this evening, as head coach Susan Yow stayed home ill with a fever.

The Crusasders never trailed as it bolted out to a 7-0 run to open the game and never looked back. Two free throws from Long at the 3:49 mark rose the lead to its highest of the half, 15 points at 28-13. Long totaled 14 points in the first half and Morgan Midkiff totaled six assists in the opening 20 minutes as the Crusaders shot 39 percent (11-28) and held Queens to a 21 percent (7-32) output.

Queens rallied in the second half to chop its deficit from 16 at the 13:23 mark down to just four at 47-43 with 4:51 to go. After an Abbey timeout, Midkiff moved the lead back to six with a jumper, but Queens answered right back to slice the deficit down to four, which it would do twice more, but the Abbey took over late.

Long swished two free throws with 30 seconds left to move the lead to six, and nine seconds later she converted two more to extend it to eight.

After a Queens empty possession, Caitlyn Ranson grabbed the free throw and was fouled. She missed the first and made the second to stretch the lead to nine. Queens fired up a three-pointer with ten ticks left to close to within six, but two Midkiff free throws with seven seconds left provided the winning margin.

Long stayed on the floor for all 40 minutes as she scored 31 points on 11-17 shooting from the floor, including three of five from three-point range. She also made all six of her free throw attempts. Midkiff added 11 points and eight assists. Ranson pulled down ten rebounds and Melisa Foures grabbed seven as the Abbey edged Queens 38-36 in that category. Belmont Abbey shot 42.6 percent (20-47) from the floor.

Queens shot 33.3 percent (22-66) as Shonice Pettaway led the way with 11 points. Tia Hudgins added ten.