MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Lees-McRae women's basketball started 2025 with a 82-70 road victory at Mount Olive on Saturday afternoon.
Layla Tillery paced the Bobcats with a career-high 16 points and added seven assists in today's win.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lees-McRae – 82; Mount Olive – 70
LOCATION: Kornegay Arena – Mount Olive, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lees-McRae (5-6/3-4), Mount Olive (1-12/0-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Thailand Smith gave the Bobcats their first lead at 6-4 and Tillery connected on a jumper for the 10-6 advantage. The Bobcats pushed their lead to 21-8 after a three from Leah Barringer and Lees-McRae led 28-12 after the first quarter.
- Mount Olive flipped the script in the second quarter as the Trojans tied the contest at 33-33 with 3:39 to play in the first half. UMO led 47-37 at the end of the first half.
- The Bobcats bounced back out of the halftime break as Sandra Mason gave Lees-McRae the one-point lead with a three-pointer at the 3:38 mark. Tillery made a three the following possession and Lees-McRae led 60-57 heading into the final quarter.
- The Bobcats built their lead to double digits with a fastbreak three-pointer from Nadiay Hairston and Emily Barr collected a layup for the 70-57 lead with 8:15 remaining. Lees-McRae earned its second consecutive Conference Carolinas victory with the 82-70 win in Mount Olive.
- Tillery led four Bobcats in double figures with a career-high 16 points on 6-15 shooting. Hairston followed with 14 points and seven rebounds. Kirsten Watt had 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Leah Barringer rounded out Lees-McRae in double-digit scoring with 11 points.
- Lees-McRae went 30-65 (46.2%) from the field with 12 three-pointers and 10-13 from the free-throw line. The Bobcats scored 39 points off 27 Trojan turnovers and held the advantage inside the paint with 32 points.
FOR THE TROJANS:
- Jada Priebe had a game-high 32 points and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds for Mount Olive. Alexis Durham and Amber Nealy collected 12 points apiece for the Trojans.
UP NEXT:
Lees-McRae women's basketball returns to Banner Elk on Wednesday, January 8 for its home debut on the McNair & Debi Tornow Court against North Greenville.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on X (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
