Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the University of Mount Olive on Friday afternoon in a 77-66 final score.
The Warriors shot 37.9% from the field with three players having double digits in the loss. Makayla Raines led the team with 16 points. She was followed by Esther Cole with 13 points and Danielle Earley with 10. Of the 11 assists in the game, Peyton Looky had three. Looky was followed by both Cole and DeYana Hayes with two assists.
Southern Wesleyan accumulated 26 rebounds in the game with both Esther Cole and DeYana Hayes having five boards to their names. Danielle Earley had the lone block of the game for the Warriors. Of the 11 steals, Hayes led the team with three.
Game Vitals
Final: Mount Olive 77, Southern Wesleyan 66
Records: Southern Wesleyan (5-14 / CC 3-8) Mount Olive (6-11 / CC 3-8)
How It Happened
The Trojans were the first on the board as Kayla Jackson stole the ball away from the Warriors and went coast-to-coast to lay it up into the basket. The Warriors answered seconds later as Kyra Price got the ball under the basket to Danielle Earley. Earley laid the ball up to tie the game up. Makayla Raines hit a mid-range, but the Trojans answered with another layup by Jackson. Kayla Jackson fouled Savanna Nicholson as she was on the look out for a three pointer to send her to the charity stripe. Nicholson hit all her free throws to put the Warriors behind Mount Olive 15-11. The Trojans persisted as they extended their lead back to six on a jump shot by Jada Priebe. With seconds left in the first quarter, Lexie Ransom knocked down a three pointer.
Mount Olive increased the intensity in the second quarter of the game as Aniyah Vanhook got up an early three. Back-to-back shots by Jayla Hicks and Chloe Kester allowed them to extend their lead to double-digits. With just under five on the clock, Jordan Race collected a pass from DeYana Hayes and put up a three pointer. Southern Wesleyan fought back as Hayes and Savanna Nicholson each got up layups. However, Hicks knocked down a three pointer at the buzzer to give Mount Olive a 45-32 point lead going into the locker room.
The Trojans started strong in the third quarter as Kayla Jackson collected another three pointer. After a missed shot, Danielle Earley laid the ball up into the basket from in the paint. Jada Priebe laid the ball up, but the Warriors answered with a layup of their own out of the hands of DeYana Hayes. Mount Olive would not relent as Jackson, Destiny Thompson and Jerin Truesdale each put up three pointers. Trinity Nesbitt was able to get the ball over to Makayla Raines who hit a mid-range shot to close out the third quarter.
Southern Wesleyan attacked the court in the final quarter of the game as DeYana Hayes got up an early layup. The Warriors cut the Trojans lead down to eighteen as Esther Cole and Makayla Raines each got up shots. With just under seven on the clock, Cole stole the ball away from Jayla Hicks and quickly got it over to Raines. Raines took the ball down the court and sunk a three pointer. The Warriors continued to chip away at the Trojans lead as Cole got up a couple more shots. However, Mount Olive was able to hold on and walk away with a 77-66 point victory.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will host the Young Harris Mountain Lions on January 29 at 5pm. They will then travel down to Florence, SC on January 31 to take on the Francis Marion Patriots. On February 4, the Warriors will welcome the Barton Bulldogs to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium.
