MOC Women visit Eckerd (Fla.) today

Published in Sports on December 21, 2004 1:55 PM

• Print
• Email

When the Mount Olive College women's basketball team traveled to Florida last year, the Trojans lost their opener on the Gulf Coast, but rebounded with a win on the Atlantic Coast.

This time around, after dropping their opener on the Atlantic Coast, the Trojans hope to even things up tonight on the Gulf Coast. Mount Olive is in St. Petersburg, Fla., for a non-conference game today against Eckerd College.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Mount Olive (2-2) is coming off a 60-54 loss at Barry University on Saturday as the Trojans never led in the game, but stayed within striking distance from start to finish. Mount Olive trailed by 10 points in the first half, but pulled within one point with just over two minutes left before Barry sealed the win from the free throw line.

The free throw line was the difference in the game: Mount Olive was 7-for-10 from the line compared to 17-for-25 for Barry.

Ladora Charles, who scored a game-high 15 points Saturday, leads the Trojans with 11.8 points per game. Teneal Boone and Latoria Harvey have been a force on the boards, averaging 9.0 and 8.5 rebounds per game, respectively. As a team, Mount Olive has been dominant on the glass in the early going, out-rebounding each of its first four opponents by double digits and averaging a rebound margin of 14.0 boards per game.

The Trojans received a boost Saturday with the return of point guard Leann Simms, who saw her first action since suffering a season-ending knee injury last January against Anderson. Simms scored eight points and recorded four steals in 19 minutes Saturday.

Both Mount Olive and Eckerd have something in common heading into tonight's game: the last game for each team was a loss to Barry.

Eckerd (3-7) is playing for the first time since Dec. 7 when the Tritons lost at home to Barry 60-55 in their Sunshine State Conference opener. Eckerd, which has lost seven consecutive games after a 3-0 start, does not have any players averaging in double figures.

Statistically, tonight's game looks to be a low-scoring affair. Mount Olive is averaging 55.8 points per contest and allowing an average of 51.3 points per game. The Trojans have held two opponents under 45 points and would have kept Barry under 60 points if not for two free throws with no time left in the game.

Eckerd is allowing 56.1 points per game while scoring an average of 48.1 points per contest.

MOC Sports Information