Freshmen Jordan McCain and Kendall Hargrove found their shooting touches down the stretch, combining for 19 points in the second half as Mount Olive staved off Anderson 75-67 in the final day of the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge Saturday at Greeneville, Tenn. The Trojans won both games in the season-opening tournament.

Mount Olive (2-0) opened play Friday with a 77-64 victory over tournament host Tusculum.

Trojan senior and preseason All-America Craig Hayes joined the 1,000-point club early in the contest. Hayes, who entered the game with 998 career points, buried a three-pointer with 17:34 left in the first half.

Anderson (1-1), a former member of Conference Carolinas all but erased a 13-point Mount Olive advantage with a 15-3 run early in the second half. A pair of free throws by Chandler Hash pulled Anderson within 45-44 with two free throws with 11:25 remaining. Anderson pulled within one point three more times before a jumper in the paint by Taylor Shugart put it ahead 59-58 with 5:39 left.

Then McCain took over. The Woodbridge, Va., native who did not make a field goal in the Trojans' opening win over Tusculum Friday night, delivered a lay-up to put Mount Olive (2-0) back in front, then made two free throws with 4:34 left to give his team the lead again.

Anderson pulled even one final time at 62-62 with 4:19 remaining. Hargrove answered with a lay-up, then handed out an assist on a McCain three-pointer after the teams returned from a timeout. Preseason All-American Derek Staton, who led all players with 19 points, followed with a three-pointer of his own to stretch the lead to 70-62.

Anderson got a three-pointer from Nick Trull and a lay-up from Jo'el Lamb to get back within 70-67  with 1:17 left, but lay-ups by McCain and Staton put the game away.

Mount Olive built its double-digit lead with a 10-2 run to close the first half. The Trojans trailed by five early after missing nine of their first 11 attempts from the floor. Trailing, 16-15 with 7:58 left before intermission, Staton hit a three-pointer, then stole the ball and fed Hargrove for a breakaway dunk.

Staton connected on another long-range bomb, then Ewon Wright blocked an Anderson lay-up at one end and hit a three-pointer at the other to give Mount Olive a 32-22 lead at intermission. Hayes stretched the lead to 39-27 early in the second half with a three-pointer, then Darrell Patterson's three with 15:19 left gave the Trojans their biggest lead of the game, 42-39.

Mount Olive shot 9-of-21 from three-point range after its slow start. The Trojans stayed close early by dominating on the boards. Nine of the team's first 14 rebounds came on offense. For the game, Mount Olive outrebounded Anderson, 45-37, despite foul trouble to big man Kason Cheeks.

Mount Olive also held Anderson to just 38 percent from the field, and forced 18 turnovers.

Hayes finished with 15 points and seven rebounds; while Hargrove delivered 14 points and 11 rebounds. McCain added 11 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Staton added five rebounds and five assists, while Dory Hines chipped in with six rebounds and five assists.

Trull paced Anderson with 18 points and five rebounds, while Shugart added 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

The Trojans return to action Friday night when the Trojans host the 46th Annual Pickle Classic. The Trojans will meet Virginia State at 7:30 p.m. Barton and Virginia State will open the tournament at 5 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.

The Classic concludes Saturday as part of Hall of Fame/Homecoming festivities. Barton will meet Brevard at 5 p.m., followed by Mount Olive against Virginia State at 7:30 p.m.