MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. –  The Converse University women's basketball team defeated the Mount Olive Trojans by a final score of 69-63 on Saturday afternoon at Kornegay Arena on the campus of the University of Mount Olive.

Converse improves to 3-18 overall on the season and 2-11 in Conference Carolinas action. It is the Valkyries' second win in their last three games. The Trojans fall to 6-14 overall and 3-11 in conference play.

Senior Mazie Helpman led all players in scoring with 22 points, her highest scoring output since scoring a career-high 27 points against King on Dec. 16.

How It Happened
The Valkyries took the opening tipoff downcourt and scored the opening basket of the game. Aggressive defense from the Valkyries forced them to use a timeout before the following inbound pass. The Trojans, playing with a depleted bench, held off Converse until they built up a seven point, 12-5 lead with 4:40 remaining in the opening quarter. The Valkyries followed by cutting the lead to two points, 14-12 with 3:38 remaining in the quarter and reclaimed the lead with just over three minutes left in the first frame. Six straight points from Mount Olive gave the Trojans a 20-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

Converse responded with the first six points of the second quarter to reclaim the lead with 7:20 remaining in the quarter. The teams tied or exchanged the lead six times until Mount Olive settled in with a 32-26 lead with 3:38 left in the opening half. The Trojans held an eight point, 36-28, lead heading into the locker room for halftime.

A 9-2 run over the first four minutes of the second half cut the Trojan lead to just one point. The Trojans rebounded and regrew the lead to as many as five points, 44-39, with 2:17 to go in the quarter, but a 6-3 run from the Valkyries to end the quarter cut the lead to just two points, 47-45, with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Propelled by a four-minute, 10-7 run from the Valkyries, Converse regained the lead for the first time since the second quarter. Despite Mount Olive reclaiming the lead 40 seconds later, the Valkyries found their footing and tied the game just before the four-minute mark and reclaimed the lead just before the three-minute mark. A pair of Mount-Olive free throws gave the lead back to the Trojans for one final time with 2:15 remaining, but an and-one play from graduate student Janiyah Hagood gave Converse what ended up being the final lead of the game. The Valkyries added five more points and won 69-63.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Helpman led all players with 22 points. She shot 8-19, 42.1 percent, from the field and 2-6, 33.3 percent, from beyond the arc. She went 4-5, 80.0 percent, from the free throw line.
• Hagood also tallied double-digit scoring with 15 points.
• Helpman led Converse in rebounding with nine.
• Freshman London Vaughn dished out six assists, the second-most for a Valkyrie in a single game this season.
• Converse led the game for just seven minutes and 55 seconds, approximately 19.8 percent of the contest.
• The Valkyries dished out a season-high 18 assists. They also made a season-high 28 field goals.

Up Next
The Valkyries return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 10 as they host the King University Tornado at the Weisiger Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 P.M.

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