MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 11) – Despite a combined 45 combined from seniors Michael Brown and Trayvon Ferrell on Friday night, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball program were edged late 81-76 versus No. 2 nationally-ranked Augusta in the season-opener at the 57th annual Pickle Classis hosted at Kornegay Arena.

With the win, the Trojans fall to 0-1 overall after opening the season against the Jaguars for the sixth time in the last seven years. UMO was selected seventh in the preseason Conference Carolinas poll after featuring a coaching change for the first time in nearly 15 years. Meanwhile, Augusta improves to 1-0 this season after finishing national-runner last year and being picked as the unanimous favorite in the Peach Belt Conference.

Brown scored a game-high 26 points while shooting 8-of-16 from the field and going a perfect eight-of-eight from the free-throw line. He also added eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block in 39 minutes on Friday.

Ferrell finished with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including four-of-six from beyond the arc. He tallied five rebounds and a steal in 30 minutes off the bench. Freshman Shane Peterson registered nine points, two rebounds and one steal in 28 minutes, while three other players totaled six points in the game.

In the first half, the Jaguars established an 7-5 advantage in the opening minutes before going on a 12-2 run spanning over five minutes to take a 19-7 lead with 12:27 left. Mount Olive halted the run with a pair of free-throws from Ferrell, as Augusta managed to build the advantage to 32-14 at the 7:02-mark behind six-of-eight shooting. Senior Cole Johnson answered with a three-pointer, but the Jaguars continued to score in the paint and hold a 39-20 lead with 2:34 remaining. The Trojans closed the half with a 7-2 rally after Ferrell and freshman Ryan Roberts knocked down three-pointers, 41-27.

Mount Olive wasted little time cutting into the deficit in the second half with a 15-7 run – led by Ferrell with 11 points, 48-42. Following a pull-up jumper from Brown the gap was closed to 48-44 with 13:55 left in the contest. Augusta tallied six of the following eight points to extend the advantage to 54-46, but UMO answered with an 11-4 run behind six points from Peterson to trim the deficit to one-point, 58-57 with 8:00 remaining. Both sides traded the next 10 points before the Jaguars scored eight-straight to take a 72-63 lead with under three minutes left. The Trojans used a 7-2 run with a three-pointer from Roberts to cut the advantage to 74-70 with 1:12 to go. Augusta would ultimately hold on by sinking five-of-six free-throws to secure an 81-76 victory.

UMO finished the contest shooting 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the floor while converting 21-of-26 from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, the Jaguars posted a .516 field goal percentage (33-of-64) and shot just 11 three-pointers in the game. Augusta held a 37-31 rebounding advantage and scored 58 points in the paint. UMO totaled a game-high 28 points off the bench in the loss.

Sophomore Ja'Queze Kirby finished with 23 points on 11-of-16 shot attempts, while adding six assists, three rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes. A 7-foot-1 senior, Tyshaun Crawford registered 18 points of 7-of-11 shots with eight rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes of play.

The Trojans continue the 57th annual Pickle Classic tomorrow, Saturday Nov. 12, when they face Columbus State in Kornegay Arena, starting at 7 p.m.