MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Brittney Robich scored 18 points and Alisa Jones tallied a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Mount Olive to a 60-49 victory over Coker in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women’s basketball Thursday at Kornegay Arena. The Trojans held Coker to five points during an 11-minute stretch in the second half to break away from a four-point lead.
Mount Olive (10-10 overall, 6-7 CVAC) rallied from an early four-point deficit as Jones’ putback and Keshaun Mozee’s scoop shot just before the shot clock expired highlighted a 16-4 run and gave the Trojans a 22-14 lead with exactly five minutes left in the half. Coker (4-16, 2-11) got as close as three points after Henna Koponen completed a three-point play with 3:11 remaining.
The Trojans answered with a 10-0 run of their own as Robich capped the run with back-to-back three-pointers to build the lead to 13, Mount Olive’s biggest of the half. Tara Nelson hit a three-pointer with two seconds remaining to cut the Trojans’ lead to 32-22 at halftime. Jones had nine rebounds in the first half for Mount Olive.
Coker cut the Trojans’ lead to four points as India Elliott scored the first six points of the half. Robich, who scored 12 consecutive points for Mount Olive, hit a pair of three-pointers and Helen Moore converted a three-point play to extend the Trojans’ lead to 41-30 with 15:34 left to play. Elliott, who scored 10 of Coker’s first 12 points in the second half, hit a pair of baskets and Nelson’s three-pointer drew the Cobras within 41-37 with 14:25 remaining. Coker would go the next seven minutes without scoring.
Tomeka Prichard’s three-pointer ignited a 12-0 Trojan run and Jones’ basket underneath extended Mount Olive’s lead to 53-37 with 9:14 left in the game. Jessica Hayes’ layup with 7:14 left ended Coker’s scoreless drought and Rebecca Kolbeck added a three-pointer less than 30 seconds later. But Mount Olive would hold Coker without a field goal until the final 16 seconds of the game as the Trojans’ lead remained in double figures the rest of the game.
Prichard finished with 11 points for the Trojans, while Mozee added seven assists and a career-high seven rebounds. Sierra Medeiros also pulled down seven boards for Mount Olive, which outrebounded Coker 52-33.
Elliott led Coker with 16 points, while Kolbeck added 10 points and six rebounds. Lotta Aaltonen dished out five assists for the Cobras.
Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans travel to Due West, S.C., to take on Erskine in a CVAC match-up. The Trojans won the first meeting 80-72 January 13 at Kornegay Arena. Tip-off is 2 p.m. Coker plays host to Belmont Abbey Saturday at 2 p.m. in CVAC action.