Lady Trojans upend Crusaders

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 9, 2009 1:46 PM

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MOC Sports Information

BELMONT -- One game after losing to a winless team in Conference Carolinas play, Mount Olive knocked off the league's lone remaining unbeaten squad -- Belmont Abbey -- on Thursday evening.

Jasmine Whitby pumped in a game-high 17 points as the Trojan women claimed a 73-60 victory and presented women's head coach Wendy Lee her 100th career win.

Alisa Jones provided a double-double -- 11 points and career-tying 16 rebounds. Brittney Robich added 13 points and a career-best eight assists. Shequanta McGee contributed 11 points.

Mount Olive (7-3 overall, 3-2 CC) won back-to-back games at Abbey in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. Overall, it's just the Trojans' fourth road triumph over the Crusaders since 1987.

Robich's assist to Jones underneath for a layup broke a 33-33 tie late in the opening half. The foul-plagued Trojans led 37-35 at the break. Tomeka Prichard's 3-pointer, on the opening possession of the second half, jump-started the visitors' offense.

Whitby added a layup as Mount Olive extended its lead to seven. Belmont Abbey pulled within 44-40, but Prichard would spark a run on both ends of the floor to break the game open.

Prichard scored on a backdoor layup off Robich's assist and Robich followed with a conventional three-point play. Prichard then converted a steal into an uncontested layup with 13:11 remaining to give Mount Olive its first double-digit lead at 51-40.

Belmont Abbey got back within single digits, but Prichard answered with another basket and blocked a 3-point attempt on the other end. Her three-point play with 9:18 remaining capped a 17-4 run and gave Mount Olive a 61-44 lead.

The Trojans return home Saturday for a contest against Anderson (S.C.) University. Game time is 2 p.m.