MOUNT OLIVE (Jan. 21) — The University of Mount Olive women's basketball team was unable to overcome a strong second-half surge from UNC Pembroke, falling 65–45 on Wednesday evening at Kornegay Arena.

Mount Olive and UNC Pembroke battled through a tightly contested first quarter, ending deadlocked at 14–14. Jada Priebe helped pace the Trojans early, knocking down a pair of three-pointers to give UMO a brief lead midway through the opening period. 

However, offensive struggles in the second quarter proved costly, as UNCP used efficient shooting to take a 28–19 advantage into halftime. Despite the deficit, the Trojans continued to compete on both ends of the floor, closing the game with a 14-point fourth quarter to match UNCP's scoring in the final frame.

Priebe led Mount Olive with 12 points, while Aniyah Vanhook added 10 points, Jayla Hicks with nine points and Savannah McAfee contributed four points and nine rebounds, a team-high. The Trojans finished with 29 rebounds and forced 16 turnovers, converting several of those opportunities into fast-break points, outsourcing the Braves in that aspect.

The Trojans will face Southern Wesleyan in their next contest on the road in a rescheduled game on Friday at 3 p.m. in Central, S.C.