Box Score BELMONT, N.C. – Senior forward Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) led the Royals (8-7) with 29 points in their 97-83 loss to Belmont Abbey College (12-5) on the road. Both teams now sit tied in fifth in the league with 5-4 conference records.
 
Stabler shot 7-of-14 from the floor, and 14-of-18 from the foul line to score 29 points for the second game in a row. Also reaching double-digits in scoring was senior guard Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C., Jack Britt)  who recorded 17 points and five assists. Tre McLean (Charleston, S.C., West Ashley) recorded eight points, six rebounds, and four assists.
 
After tying the game up on two occasions early on in the first half, the Royals put together a string of runs to go up by 11 points, 34-23, following a three-pointer from Nate Blackburn (Burlington, N.C., Graham)  Blackburn's bucket would be the last for Queens in the half at 6:11 as the Crusaders went on a 15-0 run to end the period leading 38-34.
 
Belmont Abbey would transfer that momentum into the second half as they quickly built their lead out to 15 points, 54-39, five minutes into the half. The Royals continued to fight, trying to close the gap, but Belmont Abbey's Tyshawn Good's hot hand could not be contained as he went on to score 21 second half points.
 
The Royals shot 46.3 percent from the floor, and edged the Crusaders under the glass 34-33.
 
Good led the Crusaders with 34 points. Chris Davis scored 11 points and collected 10 rebounds for a double-double.
 
The Royals return home, where they are 4-1 on the season, to host No. 19 Barton College on Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.