Box Score BELMONT, N.C. – The Royals let a conference game with Belmont Abbey College slip away in women's basketball action this evening. Despite a late run by Queens University of Charlotte that cut the Crusaders' advantage to two with 56-seconds left in the game, Belmont Abbey pulled out the 73-65 win.

A McKenzie Owen layup and four made free throws by Caitlyn Ranson sealed the win for the Crusaders in the game's final seconds improving their record  to 8-8 overall and 4-3 in Conference Carolinas. With the loss Queens falls to 4-12 overall and 2-5 in conference play.

The Crusaders took the first lead of the game on Paula Regalado's layup 33-seconds into the game. A 12-3 Queens spurt that began with a jumper from Melissa Thomas (Havelock, N.C., Havelock) left the Crusaders trailing by seven. The Abbey responded with 12-4 run to regain control of the lead, but once again the Royals answered with another flurry, this one a six-point surge to take a five-point lead. The Crusaders ended the half by outscoring Queens 20-11 to build a 37-33 lead at the half.

The second half began with a pair of free throws by Melisa Foures to push the Abbey advantage to six before a 6-0 Queens spurt tied the game at 43. Queens took a 49-48 lead on a traditional three-point play from Shanel Sweet with 13:02 left. An 18-8 surge gave the Abbey a 65-55 lead with 4:04 to play, but Queens fought back, closing the gap to just a pair with only 56-seconds remaining.

After Owen's missed a layup, she grabbed the offensive rebound and the Abbey called timeout. Out of the timeout, Owen sank a layup with 26 seconds left to push the lead back to four. On the Royals next possession, Sweet missed a layup, and the ball was knocked around for several seconds before Candace Fox emerged from the pile and drove down the floor and was eventually fouled. She missed the front end of the one-and-one, but Owen snared the rebound and passed off to Ranson, who was then fouled. She was awarded two free throws and earned two more after a Royals technical foul. Ranson's four free throws with eight seconds left, which were all four of her second half points, capped the scoring and made the final 73-65.

Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) led the Royals with led Queens with 14 points and seven rebounds. Sweet also added 14 points. Dyonna Battle (Rocky Mount, N.C., Rocky Mount) and Shatonya Hardy (Fayetteville, N.C., E.E. Smith) each pitched in with 12 points apiece. Hardy also grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.

Kelsey Long led all scorers with 20 points on eight of 12 shooting with six assists in 38 minutes. Ranson established her career-high with 19 points, 15 in the first half on five of six shooting from three-poking range, with an assist in 31 minutes. Owen registered her first career double double, tying her career-high with 18 points and pulling down ten rebounds, one shy of her career-high, in just 24 minutes. Fox handed out six assists.

Belmont Abbey shot 48.3 percent from the floor, its finest output in six games, and won the rebounding battle 39-29. Queens shot 40.3 percent from the field.

Queens travels to face Mount Olive on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.