Destinee Webb dished out a career-high seven assists, including a backwards pass from midcourt while lying on her back to trigger a second-half spurt and help Mount Olive pull away for a 69-52 victory over Virginia State in non-conference women's basketball Wednesday at Kornegay Arena. Andrea Jones led all players with 19 points, while Tamara Nesmith added 17 points and Jasmine McDonald scored all of her 15 points in the second half. The game was the Trojans' home opener.

Mount Olive (1-1) carried over a late first-half run into the second half and took its biggest lead at 40-18 after a three-pointer by Jones with 19:04 left in the contest. Virginia State (1-2) chipped away and Yashica Blackney's three-pointer with 11:37 remaining cut the margin to 50-37. Virginia State had a chance to draw even closer after Mariame Sylla blocked a shot before Webb's heroics helped thwart the comeback.

Webb wrestled the ball away at midcourt as she fell to the floor. On her back and still facing the Virginia State basket, Webb made a backwards chest pass to Jasmine McDonald for an uncontested layup and a 52-37 Trojan lead with 9:06 left to play. The margin never fell below 13 the rest of the way and McDonald's basket with 2:36 left built the lead back to 22 at 67-45.

In the first half, Jones hit a three-pointer on Mount Olive's first possession and the Trojans led wire-to-wire. Back-to-back three-pointers by Jones gave Mount Olive a 17-8 lead with 12:22 left before both teams went through a five-minute scoreless drought. Marquilla Evans' layup brought Virginia State within seven, but Webb's fastbreak layup off of a Jones steal at midcourt triggered a 16-4 run in the final 4:38 as Mount Olive built a 35-16 halftime lead.

Alyssa Luebs pulled down eight of her game-high 11 rebounds in the first half, while McDonald added seven boards and Nesmith had six rebounds. Nesmith also had five assists and two blocked shots.

Sylla led Virginia State with 10 points and six rebounds, while Evans added nine points. Kiara Walton pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and LaMesha Deal had six boards as Virginia State outrebounded Mount Olive 40-39, including a 26-16 advantage in the second half.

Mount Olive returns to action Saturday for Pickle Classic Weekend as the Trojans play host to Chowan in a non-conference match-up. Mount Olive defeated Chowan 56-55 in last year's season opener at Murfreesboro, N.C. Tip-off is noon and starts off a full slate of activities for the day.

At 3 p.m., the Mount Olive College Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011 will be inducted during ceremonies at the Lois K. Murphy Regional Center on the MOC campus. And the 46th Annual Pickle Classic concludes with a men's basketball doubleheader as Barton faces Brevard at 5 p.m. and Mount Olive takes on Virginia State at 7:30 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.