Trojan women get much-needed five-day break

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 16, 2007 2:13 PM

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After Monday's gut-check win at Barton, the Mount Olive women's basketball team may have received its best possible gift -- an extended rest.

Mount Olive returns to action after a five-day break as the Trojans play host to Queens in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's basketball Saturday at Kornegay Arena. Special tip-off time is 5 p.m. for the Annual Mount Olive Basketball Church Night.

Mount Olive (13-11 overall, 9-8 CVAC) outlasted then-conference co-leader and regionally third-ranked Barton 80-71 Monday on the road. Three Trojan starters fouled out of the game and Mount Olive made only two substitutions in the final 9:30 of the game -- none in the final 5:19.

Playing with a combination that had a minimal amount of minutes together on the floor -- starters Tomeka Prichard and Brittney Robich, and backups Alisa Jones, Keshaun Mozee and Jill Oaks -- the Trojans pulled away from a two-point lead to seal the win on the road. Jones led four Trojans in double figures with 20 points.

Prichard and Robich, both sophomore guards, rank second and third respectively in the CVAC in three-point field goals per game. Prichard is averaging a fraction over two three-pointers per game, while Robich is a fraction under two treys per contest.

Freshman forward Helen Moore, who tallied her 21st double figure scoring output Monday in 23 games, leads the Trojans with 15.7 points per game.

Junior point guard Keona Corley, who recorded 10 assists against Barton, ranks fourth in the nation with 7.4 assists per game and seventh in steals per game with a 3.7 average.

Both Corley and Moore fouled out Monday, along with junior center Sierra Medeiros.

Queens (4-20, 1-16) fell 97-85 Thursday at home against Barton. The loss was the Royals' 13th in a row.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Mount Olive fell 80-72 at Queens in January. The win is Queens' only conference victory this season and the Royals have not won since.

Mount Olive is currently in fifth place in the CVAC standings and while the top four spots in the final regular season standings have already been clinched, the Trojans do control their own destiny to earn a first-round bye in the CVAC Tournament, which gets under way Feb. 26.

Notes: If Mount Olive wins Saturday and Limestone (home vs. Erskine), Belmont Abbey (at Barton) and Lees-McRae (at St. Andrews) all lose, the Trojans clinch the No. 5 seed in the CVAC Tournament.