Mount Olive, NC – Southern Wesleyan fell in a hard fought battle against the University of Mount Olive Trojans in a 69-63 final score on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors shot 30.1% from the field and went 35.7% from beyond the arc against the Trojans.  Taylin Smith led the team with 21 points scored while Asia Pearley followed close behind her with 17 points.  Of the 12 assists in the game, Rahkhia Mack picked up four.

Southern Wesleyan pulled down 38 total rebounds.  Senior Asia Pearley recorded eight.  Rahkhia Mack had six rebounds and DeYana Hayes had five.  The Warriors blocked six attacks by the Trojans with Alexis Glover having two on her own.  Both Kaliah Kendrick and Peyton Looky had four steals in the game.

Game Vitals

Final: Mount Olive 69, Southern Wesleyan 63

Records: Southern Wesleyan (5-11 / CC 2-7) Mount Olive (2-13 / CC1-9)

How It Happened

The Trojans took the first points of the game as Savannah McAfee hit a jump shot.  Mount Olive took a 4-0 point lead off a shot by Ashley Browne, but a three pointer by Taylin Smith allowed the Warriors to come to within one.  Southern Wesleyan took the lead as Smith put up back-to-back jump shots.  A three pointer by Anna Miller allowed the Trojans to tie the game, but it was short lived as Kaliah Kendrick laid the ball up into the basket.  Asia Pearley collected a pass from Kendrick and stepped beyond the arc and hit the Warriors second three pointer of the game.  Pearley took the ball to the net several times to extend the Warriors lead to 19-12.  The Trojans challenged, but a last second three pointer by Peyton Looky allowed the Warriors to extend their lead to eight.

Mount Olive put up a jump shot early in the second quarter, but Southern Wesleyan answered as Makayla Raines fired off a three pointer.  Savannah McAfee made a push as she scored back-to-back baskets to cut the Warriors lead down to five.  The Trojans took the lead, but seconds later Taylin Smith hit another three pointer to tie the game up at twenty-eight.  With just over a minute left in the quarter, Smith put up her fourteenth point of the game to allow the Warriors to regain their three point advantage.  Southern Wesleyan led 35-34 going into the locker room.

Rahkhia Mack buried a three pointer to kick off the third quarter.  The Warriors continued to push ahead as Taylin Smith hit a deep three to extend the Warriors lead to 41-34.  However, the Trojans answered with a three pointer by Destiny Thompson.  Mount Olive continued to challenge as baskets by Janna Tupuola and Savannah McAfee allowed the Trojans to tie the game up.  A jump shot by Anna Miller gave the Trojans a two point lead with just over four minutes left in the quarter.  Asia Pearley stole the ball away from McAfee and took it to the net for a layup to tie the game back up.  Mount Olive maintained the pressure as Alondra Arroyo wove past the Southern Wesleyan defense and laid the ball up to give the Trojans a five point advantage.  Makayla Raines hit a floating jump shot to keep the Warriors within five.

Southern Wesleyan pressed on in the final quarter of the game as Asia Pearley laid the ball up into the basket.  Savannah McAfee got the ball up into the basket once again, but Kaliah Kendrick bounced the ball under the basket to Rahkhia Mack who then laid it up seconds later. The Warriors pushed on as Mack hit another layup to put Southern Wesleyan back within one point of Mount Olive.  However, Alexis Durham hit a three pointer to extend Mount Olive's advantage back to four.  Kaliah Kendrick hit a three pointer after collecting a pass from Mack.  With a minute on the clock, Asia Pearley laid the ball up into the basket.  Despite a three pointer by Peyton Looky in the final seconds of the contest, the Warriors fell to the Trojans in a 69-63 final score.

What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will return home on January 20 as they host the Belmont Abbey Crusaders.  They will then host the Young Harris Mountain Lions on January 22 and the Barton Bulldogs on January 25.  The Warriors will hit the road on January 28 as they travel to Franklin Springs, GA to take on the Emmanuel Lions for the second time this season.