MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 17) – With five players in double-figures on Friday night, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team secured a 93-85 victory over Elizabeth City State in non-conference play at the 58th annual Pickle Classic.

With the win, the Trojans improve to 1-3 this season and captured a home opening win for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. The last time the two sides met was in 2013 and UMO now holds a 2-1 record in the series. Interim Head Coach Zach Grant secures his first win at the helm for Mount Olive. Meanwhile, the Vikings drop to 1-3 overall after facing a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents to start the year.

Sophomore Aaron Murphy scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting with four rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes of action. Through the opening four games of the season, he ranks second on the team with 12.8 points per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor.

Fellow sophomore Shane Peterson tallied 17 points, all in the second half, and converted 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also recorded six rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 33 minutes. Sophomore Trey Nelson delivered a great all-around performance with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 33 minutes on Friday. Sophomore Brent Randleman contributed 12 points and six rebounds, while redshirt sophomore Redford Dunton totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the win.

In the first half, Elizabeth City State built an early 13-6 advantage on five-of-nine shooting with a pair of three-pointers in the opening five minutes of the contest. The Trojans quickly closed the gap with six unanswered points to trail 13-12 with 12:01 left. The Vikings extended the lead to 21-13 behind a pair of shots beyond the arc before UMO mounted a 14-3 rally with nine combined points from Murphy and Dunton to take a 27-24 advantage with just over six minutes left. The game would be tied three times over the final minutes, including 40-40 at the break.

Mount Olive started hot in the second half after converting four-of-five from the field to take a 51-43 lead. Elizabeth City State trimmed the deficit to 53-52 after going on a 9-2 run before eventually reclaiming a 59-58 edge with 12:32 left. The Trojan would tie the game at 61-61 on a three-pointer from Nelson before the sides exchanged buckets over the next five-plus minutes. The Vikings remained within striking distance in the closing minutes, but the Trojans would seal the victory at the free-throw line, 93-85.

UMO shot at a 45.1 clip (32-of-71) from the floor while going 22-of-28 (78.6 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Elizabeth City State finished the game shooting 53.0 percent (35-of-66) and converted just 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from the charity stripe. The Trojans finished with a 43-31 rebounding advantage with 20 second-chance points, while the Vikings registered 40 points off the bench.

Sophomore Jaquantae Harris finished with 15 points, two rebounds, and five assists in 33 minutes. Senior Tre Richardson and junior Michael Eads Jr. each delivered 14 points in the loss on Friday.

Mount Olive returns to the court tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 18, when it faces Georgia Southwestern State in the final game of the 58th annual Pickle Classic in Kornegay Arena at 7 p.m.