Box Score GREENWOOD – The Lander women's lacrosse team rebounded from a Sunday defeat with a tense 9-8 win over Mount Olive on a chilly Wednesday afternoon at Van Taylor Stadium.

Caroline Nicholson provided a signature performance for the Bearcats, who evened their record at 2-2, as she set a new career-high with five goals. Nicholson also slammed the door shut on the Trojans (2-3) when she intercepted a pass with 15 seconds left.

Another Bearcat that turned in a vintage performance was Kaia Morey. Morey caused five turnovers, grabbed seven ground balls and collected two draw controls.

Elisha Lowes also had an important career moment today – she scored her first goal during the third quarter.

Kylie Fragala enjoyed career-bests of five points – on two goals and three assists – as well as three draw controls, and Addi Hazlewood picked up her second goal of the year.

Fragala got LU on the scoreboard a minute into the contest with Sophie Warren picking up the first of her two assists.

Hazlewood and Nicholson grew the lead to 3-1 over the next handful of minutes and Nicholson's second free-position score made it 4-2 Bearcats by the end of the first quarter.

Nicholson secured her hat-trick 34 seconds into the second quarter while extending the lead to 5-2 in the process. UMO evened the game at 5 with less than four minutes remaining in the first half but Nicholson came through again seven seconds before the halftime horn to put Lander up one.

The Trojans tied it once more at 6 during the third quarter.

Kayla Smith connected with Fragala soon after – thanks in part to a Trojans' yellow card – but UMO made it a 7-all game with 8:55 to go in the third.

Fragala then became the facilitator on Lander's final two goals – Lowes' with 4:13 to go and Nicholson's 40 seconds later.

Mount Olive netted a free-position goal right at the end of the quarter to make it 9-8 LU.

Though neither team scored in the fourth, one reason why was Zoe Cotheran's save of the day with 1:53 to go. UMO's Morghan Pollock snuck behind the defense for a shot from point-blank range but Cotheran adeptly denied the shot; she finished with seven saves in all.

The Bearcats will travel to Florida for a three-game road swing next week, beginning first at current-No. 3 Tampa on Monday, March 2 at noon.