Second Half Rally Comes Up Short
 | Article Courtesy MOC Sports Information Dept.
Photography by Troy Herring |
|---|
Saturday, February 21, 2009 - Mount Olive sliced a 17-point second-half deficit down to two points, but the rally came up short as the regionally eighth-ranked Trojans fell to Erskine 74-65 in Conference Carolinas women's basketball Saturday at Kornegay Arena. Tomeka Prichard led four Trojans in double figures with a game-high 18 points.
Saturday's game was part of the 26th Annual Mount Olive College Basketball Church Night. The game also marked Senior Night as seniors Alisa Jones, Tomeka Prichard, Brittney Robich and Latara Wade were honored prior to the game. Prichard was also recognized for becoming the Trojan women's basketball all-time career scoring leader earlier this month.
The Trojans remain in first place in the Conference Carolinas standings, but now share the lead with Barton.
Mount Olive (20-5 overall, 16-4 Conference Carolinas) broke a scoreless tie 71 seconds into the game on Brittney Robich's three-pointer just as the shot clock expired. The game was tied 13-13 with 11:53 remaining in the half, but the Trojans were held scoreless over the next four minutes. Erskine (15-10, 11-9) went on a 20-4 run, highlighted by Porsha Morgan's no-look pass on Karen Anger's layup and a three-pointer by Lauren Brendle as the Flying Fleet took their biggest lead of the half at 33-17 with 2:59 remaining.
Robich hit a three-pointer with five seconds left in the half and Mount Olive went into the locker room trailing 35-24 at the break. Mount Olive was 9-for-30 from the field and committed 12 turnovers in the first half.
Erskine opened the second half with a three-pointer by Brendle, but layups by Jasmine Whitby and Shequanta McGee pulled Mount Olive within 38-28 with 18:29 left to play. But Erskine held the Trojans to three free throws over the next two-plus minutes and Anger's layup with 15:52 remaining gave the Flying Fleet their largest lead of the game at 48-31.
Whitby sparked a Trojan comeback on the defensive end on back-to-back Erskine possessions. Whitby pulled down a rebound on a missed shot and fired a downcourt pass to Prichard for a fastbreak layup, then made a steal and drove all the way to the basket to cut Erskine's lead down to 10. Brittany Miller's backdoor layup on a dish by Prichard brought the margin to single digits at 59-51 with 8:31 left in the game.
Brendle's three-pointer helped Erskine build the lead back up to 64-51, but Mount Olive rallied to make it a one-possession game. Miller tipped an offensive rebound to McGee, who hit a 15-footer, and Prichard followed with a three-pointer. McGee finished a fast break on Robich's defensive rebound and outlet pass and Prichard's three-pointer capped an 11-0 run to pull the Trojans within 64-62 with 5:02 remaining.
But that's as close as Mount Olive would get as Brendle hit a layup on Erskine's next possession and after a defensive stop by the Flying Fleet, Mary Ann Langford sank a pair of free throws with 4:05 left to extend the lead to 68-62. Mount Olive was limited to one field goal the rest of the way and Erskine hit 4-of-6 free throws in the final 28 seconds to seal the win.
Whitby notched her seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while McGee and Robich added 12 points apiece. Miller pulled down nine rebounds and Robich added seven boards as Mount Olive outrebounded Erskine 45-33. Prichard added team highs of six assists and three steals.
Morgan led four Erskine players in double figures with 15 points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Anger finished with 13 points, Langford had 12 points and Brendle added 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range.
The loss is the Trojans' second in a row after a school-record 14-game winning streak.
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Saturday's game was part of the 26th Annual Mount Olive College Basketball Church Night. The game also marked Senior Night as seniors Alisa Jones, Tomeka Prichard, Brittney Robich and Latara Wade were honored prior to the game. Prichard was also recognized for becoming the Trojan women's basketball all-time career scoring leader earlier this month.
The Trojans remain in first place in the Conference Carolinas standings, but now share the lead with Barton.
Mount Olive (20-5 overall, 16-4 Conference Carolinas) broke a scoreless tie 71 seconds into the game on Brittney Robich's three-pointer just as the shot clock expired. The game was tied 13-13 with 11:53 remaining in the half, but the Trojans were held scoreless over the next four minutes. Erskine (15-10, 11-9) went on a 20-4 run, highlighted by Porsha Morgan's no-look pass on Karen Anger's layup and a three-pointer by Lauren Brendle as the Flying Fleet took their biggest lead of the half at 33-17 with 2:59 remaining.
Robich hit a three-pointer with five seconds left in the half and Mount Olive went into the locker room trailing 35-24 at the break. Mount Olive was 9-for-30 from the field and committed 12 turnovers in the first half.
Erskine opened the second half with a three-pointer by Brendle, but layups by Jasmine Whitby and Shequanta McGee pulled Mount Olive within 38-28 with 18:29 left to play. But Erskine held the Trojans to three free throws over the next two-plus minutes and Anger's layup with 15:52 remaining gave the Flying Fleet their largest lead of the game at 48-31.
Whitby sparked a Trojan comeback on the defensive end on back-to-back Erskine possessions. Whitby pulled down a rebound on a missed shot and fired a downcourt pass to Prichard for a fastbreak layup, then made a steal and drove all the way to the basket to cut Erskine's lead down to 10. Brittany Miller's backdoor layup on a dish by Prichard brought the margin to single digits at 59-51 with 8:31 left in the game.
Brendle's three-pointer helped Erskine build the lead back up to 64-51, but Mount Olive rallied to make it a one-possession game. Miller tipped an offensive rebound to McGee, who hit a 15-footer, and Prichard followed with a three-pointer. McGee finished a fast break on Robich's defensive rebound and outlet pass and Prichard's three-pointer capped an 11-0 run to pull the Trojans within 64-62 with 5:02 remaining.
But that's as close as Mount Olive would get as Brendle hit a layup on Erskine's next possession and after a defensive stop by the Flying Fleet, Mary Ann Langford sank a pair of free throws with 4:05 left to extend the lead to 68-62. Mount Olive was limited to one field goal the rest of the way and Erskine hit 4-of-6 free throws in the final 28 seconds to seal the win.
Whitby notched her seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while McGee and Robich added 12 points apiece. Miller pulled down nine rebounds and Robich added seven boards as Mount Olive outrebounded Erskine 45-33. Prichard added team highs of six assists and three steals.
Morgan led four Erskine players in double figures with 15 points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Anger finished with 13 points, Langford had 12 points and Brendle added 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range.
The loss is the Trojans' second in a row after a school-record 14-game winning streak.
