MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 5) – Facing the No. 1 seeded program in the Conference Carolinas KPI standings, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball battled in a highly competitive 51-42 loss to Chowan on Wednesday night at Kornegay Arena.
With the loss, the Trojans fall to 3-16 this season with a 2-12 mark in league action. Mount Olive has six games left in the 2025 regular season, including three straight contests at Kornegay Arena starting next Tuesday, Feb. 11. Meanwhile, the Hawks improve to 14-2 overall behind an 11-2 record in conference play.
Junior
Savannah McAfee led the Trojans with 10 points while adding two assists, one block, and two steals in 32 minutes. Sophomore
Anna Miller contributed eight points behind a pair of three-pointers with two steals in 12 minutes off the bench. Sophomore
Kayana Cloud totaled six points, three rebounds, one assist, and two steals in her first career start.
The Hawks made the opening basket before UMO scored six unanswered to take a 6-2 edge at the 6:03 mark. In the final five-plus minutes of the first quarter, Chowan mounted a 10-2 run to hold a 12-8 advantage. The Trojans tallied five consecutive points to cut the deficit to 13-12 before the Hawks made six-of-eight shots to build a 25-15 lead. After a two-plus minute scoreless drought by both sides, Miller hit a layup at the buzzer, as UMO trailed 25-17 at the break.
In the third quarter, Mount Olive closed the gap to 27-22 after scoring five of the initial seven points. The Hawks responded with an 8-0 to regain their double-digit lead before the Trojans tallied four points in the final 41 seconds, 35-26. UMO managed to cut the deficit to 39-32 with 6:20 left in regulation before the squads exchanged buckets down the stretch. The Hawks captured their fifth straight win by a 51-42 margin.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 26.8 percent (15-of-56) from the floor and converted 5-of-25 (20.0 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Hawks shot at a 38.9 clip (21-of-54) from the field and made 7-of-17 (41.2 percent) from the free-throw line. Chowan held a 44-31 rebounding advantage with 28 points in the paint. Mount Olive scored 18 points off 24 turnovers and 18 points off the bench.
Chowan junior Yasmine Brown finished with a game-high 16 points while adding six rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 34 minutes. Senior Danea Mackey tallied 11 points on five-of-seven shooting with four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes.
Mount Olive will travel to South Carolina this weekend to face Converse on Saturday, Feb. 8, in league play at 2 p.m.
