CVAC doubleheader: Mount Olive sweeps Limestone

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on December 3, 2006 2:01 AM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Keona Corley came within one assist of a triple-double with 11 points, 11 steals and nine assists as Mount Olive rallied from an early seven-point deficit to defeat Limestone 72-53 in a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Kornegay Arena.

Tomeka Prichard matched a career high with 20 points, eight coming during a 13-0 run in the first half that gave Mount Olive the lead for good as the Trojans picked up their first conference win of the season and snapped a three-game losing skid.

Mount Olive (2-3 overall, 1-2 CVAC) fell behind 8-1 as the Trojans were held without a field goal for more than six minutes. Prichard hit a three-pointer with 13:50 left in the half for the Trojans' first field goal of the game, then connected on all three free throws on a three-point foul to put the Trojans ahead to stay.

Helen Moore's basket with 12:02 remaining completed a run of 13 unanswered points and gave the Trojans a 14-8 lead.

The Trojans extended the lead to double digits as Jill Oaks kept a possession alive in the final minute with three offensive rebounds and finished with a pair of free throws to give Mount Olive a 16-point lead.

Latara Wade added a three-pointer and the Trojans went into the locker room with a 43-25 halftime lead. Prichard, who has hit at least one three-pointer in 21 of her last 22 games, had 15 points at the break.

Defense was the key to Mount Olive's comeback as the Trojans outscored Limestone 27-8 in the first half in points off turnovers.

"After the loss to St. Andrews (Thursday), our goal today was to come out with more intensity on defense," said Corley.

"We definitely had more intensity defensively today," said Trojan head coach Wendy Lee. "We were able to step it up defensively and that created opportunities on offense."

Limestone (1-6, 1-2) scored the first five points of the second half as Ariel Lyons' three-pointer brought the Saints within 43-30.

Prichard answered with a backdoor layup and Mount Olive's lead never fell below 12 points the rest of the way. Sierra Medeiros' putback with 4:21 gave the Trojans their biggest lead at 66-45.

Corley recorded her 10th steal with 5:40 left in the game and her layup with 2:17 remaining put her in double figures in scoring. The double-double is Corley's first this season and the fourth of her career.

The last Trojan triple-double took place February 19, 1996, when Stephanie McCovery tallied 46 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 119-114 overtime victory over Belmont Abbey.

Trojan men prevail

MOUNT OLIVE -- Brandon Streeter led all scorers with 21 points and Elton Coffield scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half as Mount Olive broke away from a three-point halftime lead to defeat Limestone 78-63.

Streeter, Coffield and Elijah Rouse combined for 42 of the Trojans' 52 second-half points.

Mount Olive (4-2 overall, 2-2 CVAC) trailed by as many as five points in the first half after Marq Bell's three-pointer gave Limestone a 12-7 lead with 13:35 remaining. After Coffield and Bell traded baskets, Mount Olive went on an 8-0 run and led for the remainder of the game.

Streeter's three-pointer from the top of the key gave the Trojans their biggest lead in the first half at 24-20 with 3:37 left. After Limestone pulled within one, Kendrick Easley hit a pair of free throws to give Mount Olive a 26-23 lead at halftime.

The 26 points marked Mount Olive's lowest first-half scoring total this season, but the Trojans would surpass that total in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

"We came out flat in the first half," said Rouse, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding, and shares the team lead in steals and blocked shots. "We didn't seem to be playing with the intensity we needed in the first half, but we were able to put it together."

Limestone (3-2, 1-1) got as close as two points early in the second half, but the Trojans would build the lead to double digits as Streeter's basket off of Mike Holloman's behind-the-back pass gave Mount Olive a 42-32 lead with 13:50 left in the game.

Coffield's three-pointer just inside of the 10-minute mark -- one of his five three-point field goals in the second half -- extended Mount Olive's lead to 54-39. Streeter hit a pair of free throws with 6:52 remaining to give the Trojans their biggest lead at 63-43.

Limestone cut the lead to single digits as Terrell Smith scored eight points during an 11-0 run as his three-pointer pulled the Saints within 65-56 with 4:03 remaining. But Streeter answered with a basket and the Trojans led by double figures the rest of the way.