Belmont, N.C. – Southern Wesleyan falls to the Belmont Abbey Crusaders in Conference Carolinas action in a final score of 100-69.

Darius Sharpe led the Warriors with 25 points followed by Justice McCullough with 18 points.  Southern Wesleyan posted a 50.9% field goal percentage and went 8-17 at the free throw line.  Tyus Gaines led the team in assists with five.  Gaines was followed by Sharpe with four assists in the loss.

Southern Wesleyan posted 24 rebounds compared to the 36 rebounds made by Belmont Abbey.  Justice McCullough led the team with nine rebounds in the loss.  JT Noellert and Jeremy Wert each post a block during the game.  Darius Sharpe led the team in steals with two.

Game Vitals

Final: Belmont Abbey 100, Southern Wesleyan 69

Record: Southern Wesleyan (3-23 / CC 2-16), Belmont Abbey (13-13 / CC 9-9)

Coach Wimphrie Says…

"We had too many mental lapses in the first half and that is where we lost the game.  We played an even second half at 46-46.  The mistakes we made in the first half made the deficit too big to overcome.  Darius Sharpe played his normal game along with Justice McCullough.  I'm very pleased with these two for their effort and consistency."

How It Happened

Southern Wesleyan struck first in the game on a layup by Zalan Richards.  Belmont Abbey quickly countered with a three point jump shot by Jacob Wilson, but the Warriors rallied on a jump shot by Richards to give Southern Wesleyan a 1-point lead with a score of 4-3.  The Warriors lead was shot lived as a layup by Kendall Ratliff gave the Crusaders a 1-point lead.  Belmont Abbey would lengthen their lead to 13-8 on a 3-point jump shot by Drexler Clark.  Darius Sharpe made a 3-point jump shot for the Warriors to make the score 20-11.  The Belmont Abbey Crusaders took a fifteen point lead on free throws by Clark and then increased their lead to 34-15 on layups by Clark and Kendall Ratliff.  At the half, the Crusaders were leading 54-23.

Belmont Abbey scored the first basket in the second half on a layup by Tyler Horn, however the Warriors quickly countered on a jump shot by Tyus Gaines.  The Warriors and the Crusaders rallied back and forth with one making a basket, and then the other countering with a basket for the first three minutes of play in the second half.  With a three point jump shot by Darius Sharpe the Warriors came to 64-34 behind the Crusaders and then a layup by Justice McCullough brought the Warriors to within 26 points of the Crusaders with a little over 14 minutes left to play.  Sharpe went on to make free throws, a layup and 3-point jump shot within a minute of play to make the score 80-58.  Justice McCullough made a jump shot and then a free throw to take an 87-61 point lead over the Crusaders with six minutes left to play.  The Warriors made a layup by Darius Sharpe to bring the Warriors to 100-69 behind Southern Wesleyan to end the game.

What's Next

The Warriors will next travel to Emmanuel on February 21 to take on Emmanuel before returning home on February 24 for Senior Night in Historic Tysinger as the Warriors take on the Limestone College Saints at 7:30 pm.