MOUNT OLIVE (Jan. 16) – Freshman Laila Anderson led the team with 17 points and junior Reagan Hune delivered a double-double on Monday afternoon, as the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team rolled to a 66-44 victory over Converse in Conference Carolinas play at Kornegay Arena.

With the win, the Trojans improve to 10-8 this season behind a 6-4 record in league action. Mount Olive sweeps the season series with a pair of 20-point plus wins and holds a 29-0 record against Converse dating back to 2005. Meanwhile, the Valkyries drop to 2-15 overall with a 2-8 mark in conference play.

Anderson provided a huge spark off the bench for the Trojans after scoring 17 points on 5-of-14 shots while converting six-of-eight from the free-throw line. She added four steals and one block over 31 minutes in the win. Anderson has finished with double-digit points in 10 games and is averaging 10.2 points per game.

Hune collected her second double-double of the season with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds. The Indiana native tallied three steals and two assists in 34 minutes on Monday. Fellow junior Haleigh Crews finished in double-figures with 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 21 minutes.

The Trojans held an early 7-6 advantage in the opening quarter following a three-pointer from sophomore Kaia Simpson at the 5:25 mark. Mount Olive extended the lead after totaling nine unanswered points over the next three minutes, 16-6. Converse nailed a layup with a second remaining, as UMO had a 16-8 advantage after the first quarter. The Trojans stretched the lead to 27-8 in the second over a five-minute span with an 11-0 run while forcing the Valkyries into six turnovers. Converse netted its first points of the quarter on a three-pointer at the 3:48 mark before both sides went scoreless over the next three minutes. Mount Olive took a 32-13 lead into halftime after Crews hit a trey with 26 seconds left.

The Valkyries scored the initial six points of the third quarter to close to gap to 32-19 with just over six minutes remaining. The Trojans made three-of-four shots, led by Hune with six points to keep UMO ahead by a 41-23 margin. Mount Olive mounted a 9-4 run to finish the quarter with a 50-27 advantage. Both sides were evenly matched through the majority of the fourth quarter before the Trojans moved to their reserves over the final five minutes to secure a 66-44 win.

The Trojans finished the game shooting 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the floor while converting 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Valkyries shot at a 32.6 clip (15-of-46) from the field and made just 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from the free-throw line. Mount Olive finished with a 41-36 edge in rebounding and produced 28 points off 27 turnovers forced, while Converse tallied 20 points in the paint.

Senior Zahra Cross finished with a game-high 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting with four rebounds, three steals, and one block in 33 minutes on the court. Junior Jordan Brown registered eight points, four rebounds, and two assists in 31 minutes, while senior Sydney Wilson posted eight points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one block in 24 minutes.

The Trojans return to league play on Wednesday, Jan. 18, when they host Francis Marion in Kornegay Arena, starting at 5 p.m.