Trojan women growing up at right time

By Cam Ellis
Published in Sports on February 27, 2015 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

cellis@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- It's been a trying year for the University of Mount Olive women's basketball team.

The young Trojans have shown promise occasionally, but have struggled with inexperience and lost several games in the final minutes. UMO finished 12-16 overall, 10-12 in Conference Carolinas play -- the worst record the Trojans have recorded since 2005.

Winners in three of their last five games, however, UMO heads into this year's conference tournament looking to not only provide their young roster with post-season experience, but also play spoiler to the higher-seeded teams' title hopes.

"I feel like we've got a good shot [to win the tournament] this year," said Wendy Lee, who has taken two teams to the NCAA Division II tournament. "It may not look like it on paper. But we've played well against the top five teams in the tournament.

"I feel competent that we can play with everyone in our league. It's the message we hear from the players."

One of the most important players to the Trojans' success has been senior forward Ty Wallace. She averages 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds a game and knows that while inexperience has been the Trojan's Achilles' heel at time, it's the freshmen's baptism by fire that might benefit the team during the tournament.

"Everyone's level of play rises in the tournament, but I don't think that scares (the younger players)," Wallace said. "They've had to grow up quickly. Not a lot of freshman athletes can say that. They're being more consistent now, and we can depend on them.

"I think they're molding at the perfect time."

Wallace might be on to something.

The Trojans defeated conference cellar dwellers Converse and Southern Wesleyan, and handed fifth-place Emmanuel (Ga.) a four-point loss. They split with King University, their first-round opponent in the conference tournament, which begins Saturday.

"King is always consistent at what they do," Lee said. "They have experience and a lot of veteran players. They like to grind it out. If we can get our interior players mentally and physically ready to carry us, our inside game could be a factor.

"When that happens I think we can be -- especially defensively -- hard to play against."

Aside from Wallace, University of Georgia transfer Arieal Johnson will be the other major focal point on both sides of the ball for the Trojans. Johnson, who has spent all season getting back in basketball shape after an extended hiatus from the game, started to come on strong during the final third of the season.

Johnson averages 12.8 points a game. However, the sophomore has picked up the scoring load of late and boosted her average to 16.2 points over the last eight outings. She had a career-high 33 points in a road win over Southern Wesleyan.

Even with the Trojans playing better, Wallace knows that the post-season is a different animal entirely.

"I try to stress to them how big of a deal this is," she said. "If you lose the game in the regular season, you shake it off and move on to the next one. Here, it's one-and-done. I think they understand that.

"There's a certain integrity you have to uphold when you play for a program that's known for playing in championship games. We're going to try and uphold that tradition."