PEMBROKE, N.C. (Jan. 31) – Despite featuring four players in doubles figures, the Trojans were limited to just 24 points in the first half in a 97-73 loss at UNC Pembroke in Conference Carolinas action on Wednesday night.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team falls to 5-15 overall behind a 4-6 mark in conference play. The Trojans debuted as the No. 10 seed in the KPI standings, which were released on Monday and determine tournament seeding. Meanwhile, UNC Pembroke improves to 16-4 this season with a 10-1 mark in league action.
Redshirt sophomore
Redford Dunton tallied a game-high 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting while converting seven-of-nine from the free throw line. He also added seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 35 minutes. Dunton continues to pace the team with 14.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through 20 contests.
Senior
Kristopher Clark finished with a career-high 13 points on five-of-six attempts, including a perfect three-of-three from beyond the arc. Sophomore
Trey Nelson produced 11 points on four-of-eight shots, while freshman
Josiah Watkins contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench.
Following a slow start to the contest, the Braves built a 10-5 advantage at the 13:13 mark on 5-of-10 shooting while forcing three turnovers. Nelson answered with a three-point play to cut into the deficit before UNC Pembroke mounted a 16-1 run to take a 26-9 lead with 7:40 left in the first half. The teams exchanged points over the next four-plus minutes with the Trojans featuring five different scorers. UNCP closed the first half with a 9-3 run to hold a 47-24 advantage heading into the break.
Mount Olive tallied seven of the initial 10 points to begin the second half to close the gap to 50-31 at the 17:35 mark. The Trojans managed to trim the deficit to 65-51 after heating up beyond the arc with Clark and Dunton combining for 15 points. UMO continued to chip away at the deficit past the midway point of the second half, but the Braves registered a 15-4 run to take a significant 86-63 advantage with just under three minutes remaining. The sides traded points over the final minutes, as UNCP sealed the victory by a 97-73 margin.
Mount Olive finished the contest shooting 21-of-58 (36.2 percent) from the floor while converting 73.3 percent (22-of-30) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, UNC Pembroke posted a .522 field goal percentage (36-of-69) and made 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) from three-point range. The Braves finished with a 52-27 rebounding advantage while scoring 24 second-chance points. The Trojans totaled 20 points in the paint and 29 points off the bench.
Junior Nygell Verdier scored 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 24 minutes. Fellow junior Bradlee Haskell finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes, while junior Javonte Waverly also tallied 12 points in the win. Redshirt junior Elijah Cobb and junior Cortez Marion-Holmes each recorded 10 points, respectively.
Mount Olive returns to Conference Carolinas action on Saturday, Feb. 3, to face Erskine for Church Night with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
