MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Helen Moore shared game-high honors with 19 points, Laporsha Davis scored 18 points and Meaghan Vanderhorst added 15 points and five steals off the bench as Mount Olive defeated Coker 77-53 in Conference Carolinas women’s basketball Monday at Kornegay Arena. The win is the Trojans’ sixth in their last seven games.

 
Mount Olive (12-9 overall, 11-5 Conference Carolinas) led by 13 at the half and Davis’ basket with 12:53 left in the game pushed the margin past the 20-point mark at 53-32. Coker (3-18, 2-14) got as close as 16, but Moore’s basket with 6:49 remaining gave the Trojans a 63-42 lead and Mount Olive led by at least 20 points the rest of the way. The Trojans built the lead to as many as 27 points.
 
Mount Olive missed its first seven shots of the game before Moore’s layup nearly four minutes into the contest put the Trojans on the scoreboard. Vanderhorst hit back-to-back three-pointers as the Trojans led 14-7 with 11:11 left in the first half.  Coker got as close as four points, but Moore’s basket with 8:02 remaining gave Mount Olive its first double-digit lead at 22-12.
 
The Trojans led by double figures for the final six minutes of the half and Davis’ three-pointer with 4:40 left gave Mount Olive its biggest lead at 34-19. Coker pulled within 11 late in the half on a pair of baskets by Henna Koponen, but Davis found Alyssa Luebs inside with 13 seconds left and Mount Olive went into the locker room with a 40-27 halftime lead.
 
Davis (11 points), Moore (10 points) and Vanderhorst (nine points) combined for 30 of the Trojans’ 40 first-half points. Mount Olive shot over 60 percent from the field over the final 16 minutes of the half, hitting 17 of its final 28 shots.
 
Davis finished 8-for-12 from the field and dished out a game-high six assists. Mount Olive recorded 21 steals and forced 31 Coker turnovers.
 
Jasmine Alston finished with 19 points for Coker, while Kiesha Beavers added 12 points. Koponen recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Monday’s contest was part of “Officials Appreciation Night,” sponsored by the Conference Carolinas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Both teams lined up to shake hands with the officials prior to the game.
 
Mount Olive returns to action Thursday as the Trojans travel up the road to Wilson, N.C., to take on Barton in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Barton won the first meeting 62-49 January 21 at Kornegay Arena. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. Coker travels to Anderson Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Conference Carolinas action.