MOUNT OLIVE (Jan. 17) – Despite 41 total points from sophomore
Laila Anderson and freshman
Anna Hendrix, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team suffered a 92-76 loss versus Chowan on Wednesday night in Conference Carolinas action at Kornegay Arena.
With the loss, the Trojans fall to 3-10 this season behind a 1-4 mark in conference play. In the series, Chowan has won the last five meetings, including three victories on the road. Meanwhile, the Hawks improve to 6-6 overall with a 6-2 record in league action.
Anderson registered a team-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting while converting eight-of-nine from the free-throw line. She added two rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 23 minutes after battling foul trouble. Anderson continues to pace the team with 19.1 points per game while tallying six 20-point performances this season.
Hendrix scored a season-high 20 points behind four three-pointers with one rebound and two steals in her first career start with the program. After missing the previous three games, senior
Reagan Hune returned to the lineup and finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 attempts with seven rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes. Junior
Tiandria Tucker grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds while totaling four points, two assists, and one steal in 25 minutes.
Mount Olive established an early 5-2 edge in the opening minute of the game before the Hawks responded with eight unanswered points to take a 10-5 lead. The Trojans closed the gap to one point, but Chowan countered with a 10-2 run while converting six-of-nine from the free-throw line to extend the advantage to 20-11 with 4:48 left. UMO trimmed the deficit with five straight points before trailing 26-20 with 1:26 remaining in the quarter. The Hawks scored eight consecutive points in the final one minute to hold a 34-20 lead. In the second quarter, Chowan quickly stretched the advantage to 40-20 in the initial two minutes. Mount Olive answered back with a 16-7 rally on five-of-eight shots, led by Hendrix with seven points to cut the deficit to 47-36 with 45 seconds to go. The Hawks tallied the final three points of the quarter to take a 50-36 advantage into the break.
In the third quarter, Chowan mounted a 12-2 run on five-of-eight shooting in the opening four minutes to extend the lead to 62-38. The teams exchanged points over the next five minutes, as the Hawks held a 71-48 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of the contest. After trading baskets in the initial two minutes of the fourth, UMO rallied with a 12-2 run to close the gap to 77-64. The Trojans cut the deficit to 10 points before Chowan made 12-of-16 from the line to secure the 92-76 victory.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the floor and converted 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Hawks shot at a 47.6 clip (30-of-63) from the field and made 27-of-36 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe. Mount Olive claimed a 37-32 advantage in rebounding with 30 points in the paint, while Chowan totaled 37 points off 29 forced turnovers.
Junior Tynasia Bunting finished with a game-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting with three rebounds, six assists, five steals, and two blocks in 33 minutes. Sophomore Sydney Roberts tallied 21 points while converting 12-of-13 from the free-throw line with three rebounds, two assists, and three steals in 36 minutes. Junior Kaleah Boykin and sophomore Imani Hickman each reached double-figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Mount Olive continues its homestand on Saturday, Jan. 20, when it faces Converse in Conference Carolinas play at Kornegay Arena, starting at 2 p.m.
