SPARTANBURG, S.C.- With Conference Carolinas tournament play looming, Converse fought against the third best team in the league to a 66-57 defeat.  Mount Olive pulled away with a 12-3 run to end the contest after game was knotted up at 54-all.

Converse (5-18, 4-15) kept things close behind a game-high 19 points from Erin Horne (Orlando. Fla.).  Logan Hollis (Spartanburg, S.C.) chipped in with 10 points.  Ashley Salgado (Ottumwa, Iowa) posted a program's best 12 assists.

With 5:19 remaining the the contest, Mount Olive (15-10, 13-6) used a 12-3 run to push out in front and take the victory.

Converse started the game with a 6-0 run sparked by Erin Horne with back-to-back baskets.  Khrystal Ellis (Greenville, S.C.) ended the run with a lay-up.  UMO would go on a 10-2 run to take a 10-8 advantage midway through the first stanza. Both teams swapped baskets throughout the rest of the quarter with Converse taking a 16-14 lead after ten minutes.

Mount Olive would push things in the second quarter to a 31-25 before Horne finished off the scoring in the quarter with a jumper.  The Trojans took a four point lead, 31-27, into the locker room.

The Valkyries would battle back to knot things up at 35-all after Erin Horne hit a trey off the dish from Ashley Salgado just two minutes into the second half.  Horne would knock down another trey and a lay-up to give the Valkyries a 42-39 lead with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter.  UMO finished the third quarter on a 7-0 run to regain the lead heading into the fourth quarter up 47-44.

Converse continued to fight back in the fourth quarter to knot things at 54-all with 5:19 remaining.  

Converse will play their final road game of the season against nationally ranked Limestone on Saturday with tip-off at 2pm.