Mount Olive was outscored 12-0 over the final 2:50 and host King College remained perfect in its first season in Conference Carolinas with an 80-60 decision Saturday afternoon. The Trojans got a combined 28 points from Kason Cheeks and Mahamed Ibrahim, but the team could not survive the late drought.

Derek Staton's lay-up with 3:57 remaining was the Trojans' last field goal of the contest. The Trojans (1-2 Conference Carolinas, 8-5 overall) were still within 68-60 after a pair of Dory Hines free throws with 2:40 left, but Eddie Piccinini answered with a three-point play, and the Tornado (3-0, 11-3) made all seven free throw attempts in the final two minutes to pull away.

Mount Olive jumped out to an early lead despite losing leading scorer Craig Hayes to foul trouble in the opening minutes. Stepping up were Ibrahim, who made a three-pointer, then a lay-up to give the Trojans an 11-8 lead. Inside, Cheeks delivered two baskets and a blocked shot in the first three minutes.

An Ibrahim three-pointer with 6:23 left in the first half gave Mount Olive a 28-24 advantage. Piccinini answered with a three-pointer and Brandon Goss and DeShaun Greer followed with three-point plays to put the Tornado ahead for good.

Mount Olive trailed 38-33 at intermission despite 12 points and nine rebounds from Cheeks, and 13 points in eight minutes from Ibrahim. Cheeks finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, one shy of his season-high in each. Ibrahim's 15 points matched his outing against Brevard November 18.

The Tornado stretched their lead to 10 early in the second half before Mount Olive came back. Hayes' only point of the game, followed by a Derek Staton three-pointer closed the gap to 50-49 with 10:29 remaining. The Trojans got no closer.

Staton finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with three assists. Hines added nine points and nine rebounds. Mount Olive outrebounded King, 42-38, but shot just 35 percent from the field and was 6-for-26 from behind the arc.

Michael Fortune led all scorers with 25 points for King.

Mount Olive returns to Conference Carolinas action Wednesday as the Trojans travel to Wilson, N.C., to take on Barton in "Battle of the East 2." Last year marked the first Battle of the East between the two rival schools, which are only 45 minutes apart. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.