MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. - The University of Mount Olive men's basketball team will play host to the Flying Fleet of Erskine College on Tuesday evening in the opening quarterfinal round of the 2019 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. The No. 4 Trojans and No. 5 Flying Fleet meet for first tip at 7 p.m. in Kornegay Arena.
UMO went 13-15 overall and 11-7 in conference action to finish fourth in the conference standings at the end of the regular season, guaranteeing a hosting bid for the quarterfinal round. The Trojans are led by head coach Joey Higginbotham in his 11th season and who played in the UMO uniform and was an assistant coach under longtime coach Bill Clingan.
On the court seniors, Jamaal Matin and Tanner Poole have provided hard work and grit this season grinding all season long to help the Trojans into the position they are in for tonight's game. Matin leads Mount Olive in a majority of statistical categories including points (489), points per game (17.5), free throw percentage (80%), free throws made (92) and attempted (115), three-point percentage (41.2%), three-pointers made (75) and attempted (182), field goals made (161) and attempted (342), minutes (1014), rebounds (171), and steals (33).
Poole provides size under the basket and has helped the Trojans work the ball inside to get point in the paint this season. The senior forward has played in 27 games making nine starts over 473 minutes played. He has collected 86 points under the basket while bringing down 134 rebounds.
Freshman Michael Brown has made a big impact on the speed of the game for the Trojans being able to maneuver the ball up and down the court in the blink of an eye. The point guard has started every game this season and averages 32.8 minutes per game. Brown has 288 points and is the team and conference leader in assists and assists per game with 140 assists and a 5.0 average per game.
Joining the previously mentioned three are a handful of equally talented players in Cameron Robinson, Darius Spragley, Don Pigford, Alan Treakle, and Jonathan Mebane.
For the conference breakdown of the quarterfinal round click here.
