SPARTANBURG, South Carolina - The University of Mount Olive women's basketball team won their fourth game in a row after defeating the Valkyries of Convers College 56-44 in Conference Carolinas action in Spartanburg, SC. UMO improves to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in conference, while Converse falls to 1-9, 0-1.
INSIDE THE SCORE
Mount Olive got on the scoreboard first scoring the first six points of the game, all by Hope Toliver, in the opening three minutes of action. The basket went cold for UMO who allowed Converse to come back and tie the game at six all by the 2:46 mark. The score remained the same until the 8:45 mark of the second quarter when Toliver netted another basket to break the scoring drought. The Valkyries knotted the score at eight all 30 seconds later and the score stayed that way until Jada Bacchus made her first basket of the game at the 5:36 mark of the second quarter. Bacchus' basket spurred an 8-3 run by the Trojans that put them ahead 16-10 at the 3:49 mark. Converse closed the gap to two points near the end of the first half and the teams entered the break with Mount Olive leading 21-18 following a free throw by Bacchus.
The third quarter started out with Converse connecting on a basket 55 seconds into action pulling within one point of Mount Olive. UMO countered with a 7-0 run that opened an eight-point lead, 28-20, for the visiting Trojans by the 6:36 mark on the clock. Trailing by as many as nine, 32-23 (4:59), the resilient Valkyries clawed back to trail by three at the end of the third quarter as the score sat 35-32 in the Trojans favor who closed the third quarter scoring just three points to Converse's 11 points.
Converse tied the game 37 all at the 7:45 mark of the fourth quarter. Mount Olive responded with a 9-0 run taking a 46-37 lead with 3:56 remaining in the game. The Trojans continued on their scoring run opening up a 15 point lead with 22 seconds to play but the Valkyries got the final basket on a buzzer-beating three-pointer putting the final score at 56-44 UMO.
MOUNT OLIVE LEADERS
The Trojans were led by Hope Toliver with 15 points and Jada Bacchus with 12 points and 13 rebounds, her second consecutive double-double. Ivanda Hudjakova also joined in on the double-digit scoring with 11 points.
CONVERSE LEADERS
The Valkyries were led by Ellen Nardella with a team-high 12 points. Alexis McMillian had 10 rebounds to go along with her eight points.
KEY MOMENT
The key moment of the game came in fourth-quarter following a 9-0 run by the Trojans that spurred a scoring run 19-7 by Mount Olive who won by 12 points.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive continues their road series as they travel to Due West, SC, to face the Flying Fleet of Erskine College. UMO and Erskine will meet on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 PM in a Conference Carolinas contest.