Trojan women rebound from first defeat

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on December 20, 2012 1:47 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Coming off a loss for the first time this season, the Mount Olive College women's basketball team responded in a big way Wednesday evening.

The end result was a 65-30 blowout of Brevard College at Kornegay Arena. The Trojans improved to 7-1 overall.

"I wanted our team to get back to playing the kind of basketball we are capable of," Mount Olive head coach Wendy Lee said. "I thought for most of the game tonight our energy was good and our defensive intensity was much better than our last game."

The game started slowly for both squads.

Five minutes in, the Trojans held a 6-0 lead. Brevard finally got on the scoreboard when Michaela Watkins delivered an old-fashioned three-point play, but that was as close as the Tornados would be for the rest of the night.

Mount Olive scored the next six points and forced Brevard coach Shannon Reid to burn her second timeout of the first half just seven minutes into the contest. Nothing Reid could say was going to help her team as the Trojans continually overmatched the Tornados in the lane and in transition.

The Trojans led 42-15 at halftime.

"I thought we did a good job in stretches of establishing ourselves on the defensive end," Lee said. "We got a shot-clock violation, we forced a five-second count and we pressured their guards the length of the floor."

Each coach found plenty of time for their reserves in the second half..

Mount Olive finished with more points in the paint, more fast-break points, more bench points and more second-chance points. Tamara Nesmith led Mount Olive with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Joneiqua Gary added 15 points in the win. Ty Wallace finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

"I was glad to see Joneiqua come out and shoot the ball well," Lee said. "At Coker she struggled with her shot and I could tell it was wearing on her, so I think she needed a good game tonight."

The Trojans play host to Fayetteville State on Dec. 30.