(Raleigh, NC)- After two weeks off, Shaw University hit the court Saturday, slowly shrugged off poor shooting, then downed visiting Belmont Abbey 65-48.

"It was like playing the first game of the season all over again," said Lady Bear Head Coach Jacques Curtis. "We were just trying to get our feet wet and get back in the flow."

While the Lady Bears struggled with shooting – especially in the first half when they hit only 25% of their shots – they stifled the Crusaders with a strong defense focusing primarily on the BAC point guards.

"Lacey (Lane) and Janelle (Harrison) got after the point guards in the first half. We knew that eventually they'd score some points, but we were stable on defense even after the layoff."

The first half was an offensive struggle for both teams as neither could find a consistent shot. As poorly as the Lady Bears shot, the Crusaders did even worse, hitting only 18 percent of their shots in the first half – and only 30 percent for the game. The Lady Bears shot 47.1 percent in the second half for a 36.4 shooting percentage on the game.

Despite the shooting troubles, the Lady Bears never trailed in the game, running up a ten point lead in the first five minutes of the game, 12-2. The Crusaders battled back, cutting the lead to two when Melisa Foures hit a trey to cut the Shaw lead to 14-12 with 7:08 left in the first.

Foures would hit a layup before the half, but those were the only points Belmont Abbey had the rest of the period. Kyria Buford hit two three-pointers in the closing minutes to give the Lady Bears a 22-14 lead going into the half.

With 16:32 left in the game, Brittany Ransom led the fastbreak down court and landed the layup that capped an 11-2 Shaw run to open the second half, giving the Lady Bears a 33-16 lead.

The Crusaders then went on a run of their own – this one a 13-2 sprint that cut the Shaw lead to six, but Belmont Abbey never drew closer, and over the remainder of the second, the Lady Bears pulled away, finally earning the 65-48 win.

Buford paced the Lady Bears with a double-double – 11 points and 12 rebounds. Ransom had 11 points of her own, while Shemieka Brown had ten for Shaw. Victoria Tanner had nine rebounds for Shaw and Janelle Harrison led the team with five assists.

For the Crusaders, Foures finished with 16 points, while Shayla Jackson had ten rebounds and 11 points for a double-double. Paula Regalado had ten points for BAC. Candace Fox paced the Crusaders with four assists.

The Lady Bears now take another week off before facing Francis Marion in Savannah, GA at 2:00 p.m. on December 4. They return home on December 7 for the Vivian Sansom Tipoff when they will face Queens College at C. C. Spaulding Gymnasium.