MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 18) – Despite holding a narrow lead with just under three minutes left, the Trojans surrendered a late surge by the Virginia Union in a 52-49 loss in their home opener at Kornegay Arena on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team drops to a 0-3 overall record while playing a pair of opponents of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The Lady Panthers have won the last three matchups in the series with the two sides meeting for the first time since the 2016. Meanwhile, Virginia Union improves to 3-0 this season after securing two wins over Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents to kick off the 2023-24 season.
Senior
Reagan Hune registered her first double-double of the season with a season-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Additionally, she totaled two assists and one steal while converting seven-of-nine from the free-throw line.
Sophomore
Laila Anderson contributed 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals while playing all 40 minutes. Senior
Asia Smith finished with five points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in 23 minutes.
In the opening three minutes of the first quarter, UMO established a 6-0 advantage behind four points from Anderson. With 6:01 left in the first, Virginia Union converted three-of-four from the field to trim the deficit to 8-7. Hune made one-of-two from the line with just over a minute left, as the Trojans held a 9-7 lead. After two scoreless minutes to begin the second, Hune scored five straight points for UMO to take a 14-9 edge. The Lady Panthers countered with eight unanswered points to take the lead by a 17-14 margin with one minute left. Virginia Union took a 19-18 advantage into halftime despite Hune scoring four points in the final 34 seconds.
After trading baskets in the opening four-plus minutes, the Lady Panthers managed to build a 30-26 advantage with 4:02 left in the third quarter. Mount Olive responded with a 9-1 rally behind a pair of three-pointers to take a 35-31 lead. Virginia Union closed the third with a three and trailed by a 35-34 margin entering the final 10 minutes of the game. The contest featured little separation in the initial seven minutes of the quarter with four ties between the sides. With UMO leading 43-42, the Lady Panthers answered with a 10-4 run on three-of-five shooting to escape with a 52-49 win.
UMO finished the contest shooting 29.6 percent (16-of-54) from the floor while converting 14-of-17 (82.4 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Virginia Union posted a .367 field goal percentage (18-of-49) and made 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) from the charity stripe. The Lady Panthers recorded a 37-25 rebounding advantage with 16 points scored off 21 turnovers, while the Trojans registered 20 points in the paint.
Senior Ny Langley finished with a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting while converting 8-of-11 from the free throw line. She also added eight rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes. Sophomore Kiara Shepherd tallied nine points, 12 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes of action.
The Trojans idle for a week before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 25, when they travel to face Mars Hill in non-conference play at 2 p.m.
