Three Trojans have career nights

By Steve Roush
Published in Sports on December 15, 2005 2:07 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Tomeka Prichard had been looking forward to this game for a long time.

On Wednesday night, the freshman Mount Olive guard didn't face off against just any opponent. She was playing the St. Andrews Knights -- and her big sister, Marquita.

"Bragging rights were on the line, most definitely," the younger Prichard said with a big smile. "I had never played against my sister before."

Tomeka scored 11 of Mount Olive's first 21 points and finished with a career-high 14 points as the Trojans improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference play with a 78-64 triumph over St. Andrews. Marquita, a junior playing her first season with the Knights after spending two years at Louisburg Community College, shot just 1-of-9 from the field and finished with four points.

"She got me one time," Tomeka said. "But the rest of the time, I had her."

Teneal Boone matched a career high with 26 points and notched her fourth double-double of the season with 13 rebounds and Ebony Green also established a career high of 17 points as the Trojans improved on their best-ever start since moving to NCAA Division II in 1995-96.

Mount Olive trailed 8-7 almost seven minutes into the game, but grabbed the lead for good midway through the first half as Prichard scored eight consecutive points during a 16-4 run as the Trojans led 23-12 with 6:49 left in the half.

"(Prichard) came in and stepped up by hitting some big shots early in the game," Mount Olive coach Wendy Lee said. "She did a good job of keeping her focus on the game and not who she was playing."

St. Andrews (1-5, 1-2) pulled within four after Karen Foggie's three-point play with 1:34 remaining. But Green's two putbacks and Meaghan Vanderhorst's three-pointer with 29 seconds left gave the Trojans a 36-26 lead at halftime.

Mount Olive increased its lead to 58-39 with 11:54 left in the game as Vanderhorst's second three-pointer ignited a 12-2 run. St. Andrews, however, was able to cut the deficit to single digits after Ashley Mitchell's basket pulled the Knights within 63-56 with 7:07 remaining. But Boone and Green combined to score all of the points in an 11-0 run as Mount Olive went on to increase the lead to as many as 20 points.

"We knew we had to pull together and make one last run," Green said. "They made a run at us there in the second half and we knew we all had to pick it up."

Boone, who was named CVAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Tuesday, scored 18 of her points in the second half to help Mount Olive pull away. Keona Corley had eight assists and four steals, while Anita Rogers dished out five assists.

"Playing as a team and good defense wins games," Boone said. "I'm kind of excited we're 6-1, but we've still got a long way to go. Our concentration needs to be on each game."

Foggie and Mitchell led St. Andrews with 16 points each, while Diana Martinez registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Also for the Knights, North Lenoir grad Tamerial Coward scored six points while Goldsboro High grad Jessy Perkins had two.

"St. Andrews made a big push in the second half," Lee said. "They came out with a fullcourt press and cut into our lead, but once we were able to adjust to what they were doing, we were able to take advantage of it."

Mount Olive returns to action Monday as the Trojans travel to Petersburg, Va., for a non-conference contest against Virginia State in a rematch of their Nov. 22 meeting, won by Mount Olive 66-65. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. St. Andrews is off until after the first of the year as the Knights play host to UNC Pembroke in a non-conference game Jan. 2 at 6 p.m.

St. Andrew 26 38 -- 64

Mount Olive 36 42 -- 78

St. ANDREWS (1-5, 1-2)

Crista Henderson 2 0-0 4; Diana Martinez 4 2-2 10; April Johnson 2 0-0 4; Ashley Mitchell 4 (2) 2-4 16; Karen Foggie 5 6-9 16; Tamerial Coward 3 0-3 6; April Henderson 1 0-0 2; Marquita Prichard 1 2-2 4; Jessy Perkins 1 0-0 2. TOTALS -- 23 (2) 12-20 64.

MOUNT OLIVE (6-1, 2-1)

Teneal Boone 13 0-1 26; Sierra Medeiros 2 0-0 4; Keona Corley 2 3-4 7; Tomeka Prichard 2 (3) 1-3 14; Meaghan Vanderhorst 1 (2) 0-0 8; Ebony Green 7 3-4 17; Alisa Jones 1 0-0 2. TOTALS -- 28 (5) 7-12 78.

3-point goals -- St. Andrews 2 (Mitchell 2); Mount Olive 5 (Prichard 3, Vanderhorst 2). Turnovers -- St. Andrews 19; Mount Olive 20. Total fouls -- St. Andrews 12; Mount Olive 15. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none. Attendance -- 117.