CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte Royals hosted Mount Olive College this evening in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action defeating the Trojans 72-57. Queens improves to 11-8 (12-13) in the league and moves ahead of Erskine College into sixth place, while Mount Olive falls to 15-4 (18-7) still holding on to their second place seed for the upcoming conference tournament.
The Royals commanded 29 second chance points in this evening's contest out-rebounding the Trojans 64-to-28. Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) led all rebounders with 16 boards to go along with her 24 points. Hudley's double-double is her 18th of the season. Shakaria Hamlin (Hartsville, S.C., Hartsville) also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Jazmine Edmonds (Manassas, Va., CD Hylton) snatched down 11 boards in the post.
Queens jumped out to as much as a nine point lead early in the first half before the Trojans went on a nine-to-zero run tying the game up at 15 half way through the first stanza. Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) immediately responded scoring a turn-around jumper from the block giving the Royals the advantage once again. The Trojans trailed Queens for the remainder of the period falling behind by 12 on a Dyonna Battle free-throw at the close.
In the second half, Queens controlled the play keeping right around a 10 point cushion for much of the half. Mount Olive began chipping away at the Royals lead round the 12:29 mark when Queens saw themselves in a scoring drought sitting at 47 points for nearly four minutes. The Trojans quickly took advantage sinking eight straight points getting within five points of the host team.
Hudley answered breathing life into the Royals offense scoring six straight points to keep Queens ahead. She would follow those six points up with two assists on buckets scored by Pettaway and Dyonna Battle (Rocky Mount, N.C., Rocky Mount) stretching the Royals' lead back out to 10. Queens would spread its lead out to 15 before the final horn sounded ending the game.
Queens' Battle ended the game with 14 points, while Pettaway flirted with a double-double scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The Royals shot 80% from the free-throw line on 20-of-25 shooting.
Leading Mount Olive was Andrea Jones with 19 points. Laporsha Davis finished with 18.
The Royals will celebrate Senior Night on Saturday as they welcome rival Belmont Abbey College to The Oven. The two teams will battle for the fifth place spot in the conference in a game is scheduled to have a 5:30 pm tip.
