FLORENCE, S.C. (Feb. 7) – Facing the No. 2 seed in the latest KPI rankings, the Trojans were unable to halt a second-half surge in a 67-52 loss at Francis Marion on Wednesday night in Conference Carolinas play.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team falls to 6-14 this season with a 4-8 mark in league action. The Patriots sweep the season series over the Trojans for a consecutive year with both victories by double-digit points. Meanwhile, Francis Marion earns its 10th straight win to improve to 16-5 overall behind an 11-1 record in conference play.
Senior
Reagan Hune finished with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. Over the previous two games, she has averaged 19.5 points per game while converting 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the floor.
Junior
Tiandria Tucker totaled 12 points on five-of-seven shots with seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 32 minutes. Junior
Alexis Durham registered seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 29 minutes. Fellow junior
Dominique Pacheco tallied three points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench.
Mount Olive established an early 5-0 advantage in the initial two-plus minutes of the contest before the Patriots made four-of-six from the field to total eight unanswered points. The Trojans responded with back-to-back baskets to regain the lead at 9-8 before the sides exchanged points over the final two minutes of the first quarter. Both teams traded baskets a majority of the second quarter, as Francis Marion reclaimed a 21-19 advantage at the 4:31 mark. Hune countered by scoring five straight points to give UMO a 24-21 lead, but the Patriots closed the half with five consecutive points to hold a 26-24 edge.
In the third quarter, the Patriots mounted an 8-0 run in the opening minutes to build a 37-29 before UMO scored five of the following eight points to cut the deficit to 40-34. Francis Marion finished the quarter with a 10-4 run to take a 50-38 advantage into the final 10 minutes of the game. Mount Olive closed the gap to 10 points early in the fourth before both sides went scoreless for two minutes. The Patriots made five-of-eight shots over the next six minutes to secure a 67-52 win.
UMO finished the contest shooting 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the floor while converting 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Francis Marion posted a .369 field goal percentage (24-of-65) and made 8-of-24 (33.3 percent) from three-point range. The Patriots recorded a 37-31 rebounding advantage with 20 points off 19 forced turnovers, while the Trojans registered 18 points in the paint.
Freshman KiMyah Foggie scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 30 minutes. Junior Jada Richards registered 16 points on 5-of-10 attempts while converting four-of-seven from three-point range. Senior Lauryn Taylor posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Mount Olive returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 10, when it faces Lees-McRae in Conference Carolinas play at 3 p.m.
