MOUNT OLIVE (Dec. 6) – Behind a season-high 21 assists on Tuesday afternoon, the Trojans pulled away in the second half to secure a 67-50 win over Mars Hill in non-conference action at Kornegay Arena.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team improves to 4-4 overall and holds to 3-1 record this season at home. This also marks the first meeting between the sides in recent program history. Meanwhile, the Lions drop to 3-4 this year while boasting a 2-1 mark against schools from the Conference Carolinas.
Senior
Laila Harris finished with a team-high 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting while adding six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 25 minutes of action. Fellow senior
Makayla Kimble tallied 12 points on 5-of-12 from the field with eight rebounds (three offensive), five assists, and two steals in 29 minutes.
Junior
Reagan Hune also reached double-figures with 11 points on 5-of-10 shots while collecting five rebounds (four offensive), one block, and one steal in 19 minutes off the bench. Sophomore
Tiandria Tucker produced eight points, seven rebounds, and one steal in 17 minutes.
In the first quarter, both teams exchanged baskets in the opening four-plus minutes, as the Trojans held an 8-6 advantage. Mount Olive mounted a 10-2 rally on five-of-six from the floor to stretch the lead to 18-8 with 1:29 left in the quarter. The Lions scored four of the final five points of the first to trail 19-12. Mars Hill caught fire early in the second after converting five-of-nine shooting with three treys as part of a 13-2 rally to take a 25-21 lead. Mount Olive responded with back-to-back baskets to tie the contest before the Lions nailed consecutive three-pointers to continue to lead, 31-28 with 3:21 left before the break. UMO closed the quarter with 12 unanswered, led by Kimble with eight points, to take a 40-31 lead at halftime.
The Trojans carried their run into the second half by scoring nine of the next 10 points to extend the advantage to 49-32 with just over seven minutes left in the third. After a near three-minute scoreless drought, Mount Olive closed the quarter shooting four-of-seven with a pair of three-pointers to hold a 59-37 lead. The Trojans finished the third quarter with 10 forced turnovers and held Mars Hill to just two-of-seven attempts. After a UMO layup to begin the fourth, the Lions chipped away at the lead with 12-straight points over six minutes to cut the deficit to 61-49 with 2:43 left. The Trojans controlled possession down the stretch and closed the contest with a 6-1 run to claim a 67-50 victory.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from the floor while converting 5-of-11 (45.4 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Lions shot at a 27.1 clip (16-of-59) from the field and made just 6-of-25 (24.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Mars Hill finished with a slight 43-42 rebounding advantage and scored 13 second-chance points. UMO tallied 40 points in the paint and 24 points off turnovers.
A transfer from Belmont Abbey, graduate student Jo Snow finished with a game-high 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting with five treys. She also added three rebounds, two assists and four steals in 36 minutes. Junior Janette Hanni totaled 11 points and seven rebounds in 40 minutes, while redshirt freshman Naja Ngongba collected a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while also delivering four blocks and three steals in 30 minutes.
The Trojans return to action on Saturday, Dec. 10, when they host Virginia State in non-conference play at 5 p.m.
