Posted: Jan 12, 2017
Mount Olive, N.C. – On a career-night for Daria Simmons, the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team topped Lees-McRae College, 83-68, on Wednesday evening in Mount Olive, N.C.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 83, Lees-McRae 68
Records: Mount Olive (10-3, 7-1 CC), Lees-McRae (1-13, 1-7 CC)
Location: Kornegay Arena, Mount Olive, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST QUARTER
- Lees-McRae kept pace with the Trojans early on, taking a 13-9 lead with 6:48 left on the clock.
- Both teams traded baskets through the final minutes as the lead changed hands five times with the Bobcats grabbing a 22-20 advantage after the first period.
SECOND QUARTER
- Mount Olive took the first five points of the quarter to take a 25-22 lead with just 2:02 off the clock.
- The Bobcats threatened to retake the lead tying the contest twice, but UMO held onto a 42-40 lead heading into the break.
THIRD QUARTER
- Once again, the third period was highlighted by both teams inability to build a significant lead, as Mount Olive took its largest lead of at 62-57 on a jumper by junior Ni'Ya Styles with just 27 seconds left on the clock.
- Senior Daria Simmons scored 15 of the Trojans' 20 third-quarter points to help increase UMO's advantage.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Mount Olive finally began to pull away in the early moments of the fourth frame as Simmons helped fuel a 12-2 UMO run to open the quarter that gave the Trojans a 73-59 lead with 5:10 left to play.
- The Trojans held onto their lead throughout the quarter not allowing Lees-McRae to draw any closer than 12 in the final five minutes in UMO's 83-68 victory.
KEY STATS
- Simmons poured in a career-high 40 points in the victory becoming just the third Trojan in program history and first since 1996 to reach the 40-point plateau.
- Junior Felecity Havens and senior Kiara Jones each chipped in double-digit rebound performances with 17 and 13 boards, respectively.
- Joining Simmons in double figures was freshman Hope Toliver who contributed 10 points in just 13 minutes off the bench.
- UMO outshot Lees-McRae, 42.3% to 39.1% and outrebounded the Bobcats, 56-30.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive will remain home for a Conference Carolinas matchup with Emmanuel College (Ga.) on January 14 at 2 p.m. inside Kornegay Arena.