WINSTON SALEM, N.C. (Nov. 14) – The Trojans posted a season-low .364 field-goal percentage on Tuesday night in an 88-68 loss to Winston-Salem State in non-conference play.

With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team drops to 0-3 this season after playing all three contests on the road. The Trojans are set to host the 58th annual Mt. Olive Pickle Classic this upcoming weekend with a pair of night games scheduled in Kornegay Arena. Meanwhile, Winston-Salem State improves to 2-1 overall after winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament Championship last year.

Sophomore Shane Peterson produced a team-high 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting with four-made shots from beyond the arc. He also added seven rebounds and one assist on Tuesday night. Through the opening three contests of the year, he paces the team with 14.7 points per game and has converted 11 three-pointers.

Fellow sophomore Colin Radcliffe scored nine points and redshirt sophomore Redford Dunton finished with eight points, five rebounds, and two assists. Sophomore Trey Nelson recorded eight points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the loss, while freshman Ja'Merl Brockington also contributed eight points with two rebounds off the bench.

Following a back-and-forth contest in the opening minutes, the Rams mounted a 14-2 run on 5-of-10 shooting to build a 19-7 advantage with 10:58 left in the first half. The Trojans answered by scoring seven of the next nine points to cut the deficit to 21-14, but Winston-Salem State quickly extended the lead to 29-17 with just over seven minutes remaining. Peterson countered with back-to-back three-pointers before UMO trimmed the deficit to 35-30 on a long-range bucket from Radcliffe. The Rams finished the first half strong behind a 17-6 run over the final five minutes to hold a 52-36 advantage at the break.

After a slow start to the second half, WSSU found its offensive rhythm after going a perfect seven-of-seven from the field as part of a 17-4 run to take a 71-42 lead with 13:40 left. The Trojans worked the deficit down to 76-53 with four different players scoring with just under seven minutes left. In the final four minutes of the contest, Mount Olive went on a 13-6 run on 6-of-10 shooting to fall by an 88-68 margin.

Mount Olive finished the contest shooting 24-of-66 (36.4 percent) from the floor while converting 75.0 percent (15-of-20) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Winston-Salem State posted a .516 field goal percentage (33-of-64) and made 16-of-24 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe. The Rams finished with a 36-31 rebounding advantage while scoring 44 points in the paint. The Trojans totaled 34 points in the paint and registered 28 points off the bench.

Senior Jaylen Alston scored a game-high 31 points on 11-of-12 shooting while going 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. He also added six rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes of action. Junior Isaac Parson tallied 20 points on 7-of-11 shot while also totaling eight rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes.

The Trojans return to action on Friday, Nov. 17, when they face Elizabeth City State for the home opener at the 58th annual Mt. Olive Pickle Classic in Kornegay Arena, starting at 7 p.m.