MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive defeated Virginia Union University 64-58 in non-conference men's basketball action on Homecoming night. The Trojans played an exciting game in front of a packed house on the second day of the 52nd Annual Mount Olive Pickle Classic Saturday evening at Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 64, Virginia Union 58
Records: Mount Olive (3-1), Virginia Union (1-4)
Location: Kornegay Arena | Mount Olive, N.C.

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST HALF

• The game opened with back to back blocks by the Trojans as the Panthers were rejected on two layups in the opening seconds.
• VUU countered with six points before UMO got on the board at 17:45 courtesy of a made three-pointer by Jamaal Matin.
• Virginia Union opened up a five-point lead, 8-3, following a minute and a half period of neither team scoring.
• The momentum of the game swung in the favor of the Trojans who went on a 10-point run to take over the lead 13-8 with 12:05 to play in the first.
• A VUU Panther pulled the score within two, 13-11, scoring three points the hard way on a layup and free throw.
• UMO put four-points between them and VUU as Cameron Robinson connected on the jump shot with 11:31 to go.
• Over the next two minutes, the Panthers scored five points to retake the lead 16-15 on three free throws and a layup.
• Mount Olive went on a 6-2 run off two threes by Matin and Cameron Robinson to go up 21-18 at the 8:25 mark.
• Virginia Union went on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to take the 27-21 lead.
• UMO scored back-to-back threes from Tayon Gleaves to tie the game at 27 with 3:21 on the clock.
• The Panthers went up by two with a minute and a half but the Trojans tied it ten seconds later at 29 all as the teams entered halftime knotted up.

SECOND HALF

• Virginia Union opened the second half on a 9-2 run taking the six-point lead 38-32 with 15:50 remaining.
• Cameron Robinson broke up the Panther run with a jump shot that started a 9-2 run in the Trojans favor as they took the slim 41-40 lead at 11:58.
• VUU tied the game up a minute later but UMO countered with a 12-2 run including a pair of threes from Darius Spragley and Cameron Robinson.
• The Panthers went on a 7-0 rally to pull within four points of the Trojans 53-49 with five minutes to play.
• Tyler Thomas increased the Trojans lead to eight, 56-49, on a three-pointer near the four-minute mark.
• A 9-5 run by VUU pulled them within three of UMO 61-58 with 40 seconds remaining.
• The Trojans scored the final three points of the game on three free throws to win the game 64-58.

KEY STATS

• Tyler Thomas led the Trojans with 15 points while Cameron Robinson was just behind with 14.
• Jamaal Matin and Tayon Gleaves also scored in the double-digit range with 12 and 11 respectively.
• Matin was the leading rebounder for UMO with seven, while Dominique Tham tallied six and Cam Robinson brought down five boards.

NOTES

• The Trojans scored 12 three-pointers during the game with Gleaves, Thomas and Cameron Robinson each connecting on three.
• UMO shot 76.9% from the free throw line making 10-13 chances.
• VUU out rebounded UMO 50-32 with two players recording 10 rebounds apiece.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

UMO – #5 Tayon Gleaves
UMO – #12 Cameron Robinson
BC – #4 Michael Boykin
BC – #24 Bobby Stenborg
VUU – #4 James Page
VUU – #10 Kory Cooley
SAU – #4 Rashad George
SAU – #13/20 Tyre Gathwright

UP NEXT

The win moves UMO to 3-1 on the season with a weeks rest for the Thanksgiving holiday. UMO returns to action when they travel to UNC Pembroke on Monday, Nov. 27, for a 7 p.m. showdown at Lumbee Bank Court in Pembroke, N.C.