Anamaria Zjacic and Ty Wallace combined for 22 points as the University of Mount Olive fell to Barton College 70-56 for Conference Carolinas women's basketball Tuesday night in Wilson, N.C. Three Trojans scored in double figures to help lead the Mount Olive offense.
Mount Olive (12-16 Overall, 10-12 Conference Carolinas) surrendered the first points to Barton (14-15, 13-9) as the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick five point lead to start the game. Ni'ya styles got the first points of the game for the Trojans with just under eighteen minutes left in the first half. After Wallace got her first points on the night Barton went on a run.
The Bulldogs' offense then put up 11 points in a 3:15 run to give them an 18-4 cushion. With 12:13 left before the half and trailing the Bulldogs 21-7, Mount Olive pushed for a run of their own. Johnson started a stretch of eight unanswered points and brought the Trojans to within seven, down 21-14 with 9:08 left before halftime.
Mount Olive managed to get the margin to five for the rest of the first period; however the Bulldogs went into the locker room up 35-29.
Zjacic crashed the offensive board and got a put back to fall to nab the first points of the second half. Barton stayed hot and responded with eight straight points and moved the margin to 44-31. The Bulldogs moved their lead to 14 and the Trojans called a time out. Martha Mastin scored five points out of the timeout to bring the margin to 46-37 with 13:10 left in the game.
With 11:39 left, Kalia Lea for Barton hit two three-pointers and pushed the Bulldogs further ahead 54-38. In a 1:10 span Mount Olive out-scored Barton 6-2 as the margin went to 58-44 with 7:30 left in the game.
Wallace started a crucial run as with two made free throws she helped lead the Trojans to an 8-0 run to bring the game back to a single digit deficit 58-52 with just over four minutes to play.
Barton was fouled as the game was under a 1:30 and went 10-for-12 from the free throw line to seal the win for the Bulldogs
Zjacic and Wallace led all scorers with 12 points apiece. Styles finished with 10 points and Ariel Johnson with nine points and 13 boards.
Lea led all scorers for Barton with 16. Three other Bulldogs tied with 13 points.
Mount Olive opens play Saturday in the 2015 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Tournament as the seventh-seeded Trojans travel to Bristol, Tenn., to take on No. 2 seed King. The two teams split their regular season series, each team winning on its home floor. Game time has not yet been announced.