BUIES CREEK, N.C. (Nov. 4) – Facing a Division I opponent in an exhibition on Monday night, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball program fell by a 72-29 margin at Campbell in the Gilbert Craig Gore Arena.
With the loss, the Trojans continue preparations for their official season-opening contest on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at Shaw in non-conference play. UMO welcomed back 10 players from the 2023-24 season while introducing 14 newcomers. Meanwhile, the Fighting Camels open their campaign with a 1-0 record after being ranked eighth in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll.
Sophomore
Alondra Arroyo led the Trojans with seven points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Junior
Kayla Jackson finished with six points behind a pair of three-pointers while adding two rebounds, and one assist in 17 minutes. Junior
Aquarius Pettaway totaled four points and three rebounds while junior
Keri Cooper registered three points, two rebounds, and two assists in her first start with the program.
In the first quarter, Campbell established an early 5-0 advantage in the initial three minutes of the contest before Arroyo tallied three straight points, including a fast break layup. Over the final 4:34 of the quarter, the Fighting Camels finished with a 14-1 run with eight points coming off turnovers to hold a 19-4 lead. The Trojans start the second quarter with six unanswered points, including a three-pointer from Jackson to close the gap to 19-11 at the 6:24 mark. The Fighting Camels halted the run at the free-throw line before the sides traded points down the stretch. UMO ultimately outscored Campbell by an 11-7 margin in the second quarter but trailed 26-15 lead at halftime.
The Fighting Camels began the third quarter with five consecutive points before Arroyo answered with a layup with 8:49 remaining, 31-17. Campbell delivered a strong six-plus minutes of offense after shooting 5-of-10 from the field and converting seven-of-eight from the line as part of an 18-0 run. Freshman
Destiny Thompson scored a layup in the final seconds of the quarter before the Fighting Camel hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, 52-19. Campbell went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth before freshman
Ashley Browne and Jackson made back-to-back shots to trail 60-24 with 7:03 left in the contest. Following a two-plus minute scoreless drought, the Fighting Camels closed the game with a 12-5 run behind five-of-nine shooting to secure a 72-29 win.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 17.0 percent (8-of-47) from the floor and converted 11-of-18 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Fighting Camels shot at a 32.8 clip (21-of-65) from the field and made 26-of-33 (78.8 percent) from the charity stripe. Campbell forced 28 turnovers which resulted in 24 points, while the Trojans tallied 24 points off the bench.
The freshman duo of Olivia Tucker and Emerson Thompson paced the team with 14 points while teammate Jasmine Felton finished with 13 points, five rebounds, five steals, and one block. Junior Gianni Boone also reached double-figures with 10 points, adding three rebounds and two blocks.
Mount Olive returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 4, for its official season-opener at Shaw with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
