MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 15) – Despite holding a four-point lead with 1:23 left in the contest, the Trojans fell short by a 107-105 margin on a last-second jumper against Georgia Southwestern in the 59th Annual Pickle Classic in Kornegay Arena on Friday night.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team drops to 1-2 this season while competing in its first home game of the 2024-25 campaign. The sides meet for the third time since 2018 with all three contests decided by four points or fewer. Meanwhile, Georgia Southwestern improves to 3-1 overall after being picked seventh in the preseason Peach Belt Conference (PBC) poll.
Freshman
Chase Dawson scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting while converting four three-pointers in his first career start. He also added two rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 27 minutes. Junior
Shane Peterson finished with 20 points on 6-of-10 attempts and made five-of-seven from beyond the arc. In 23 minutes, he totaled six rebounds, one assist, and two blocks against the Hurricanes on Saturday. Senior
Redford Dunton registered 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 28 minutes. Sophomore
Kennard Davis recorded a career-high 11 assists while adding eight points, three assists, and five steals in 23 minutes.
Georgia Southwestern delivered an impressive start on the road after converting 7-of-11 from the field to take a 16-8 lead at the 14:27 mark. Mount Olive countered with nine-straight points, led by Dawson with seven points to gain a 17-16 edge with 12:35 left in the first half. The Hurricanes quickly reestablished a 26-22 advantage on five-of-six shooting before Peterson closed the gap with a three-pointer on the following possession. GSW managed to stretch the lead to 35-26 while the sides traded baskets in the closing minutes of the half. The Trojans finished a perfect five-of-five from the floor in the final three-plus minutes to trail 52-47 at the break.
After an opening jumper by the Hurricanes, UMO responded with 10 unanswered points, led by Peterson with eight points to take a 57-54 lead with 17:05 to go. Over the next five minutes, Georgia Southwestern mounted a 20-8 rally to reclaim a 74-65 advantage, but Mount Olive answered with a 15-5 run to regain an 80-79 edge with 9:22 left. The game featured four ties over the next two minutes before GSW recaptured a 96-91 lead with five remaining. The Trojans countered with a 13-4 run to hold a 104-100 edge with under two minutes to go. The Hurricanes scored seven of the final eight points, including a go-ahead jumper with two seconds left to escape with a 107-105 win.
Mount Olive finished the contest shooting 34-of-83 (41.0 percent) from the floor while converting 81.3 percent (26-of-32) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Georgia Southwestern posted a .571 field goal percentage (44-of-77) and made 16-of-26 (61.5 percent) from the charity stripe. The Hurricanes finished with a 51-38 rebounding advantage while scoring 76 points in the paint. The Trojans totaled 37 fastbreak points and 29 points off 24 forced turnovers.
Hurricane sophomore Justin Monden finished with a team-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including the game-winner with two seconds left. Junior Josiah Shackleford tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four blocks in 28 minutes. Sophomore Tim Hall, Jr. posted a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while junior Lars Nilsen nearly recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
The Trojans will return to the court tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 16, when they face Morris in the 59th Annual Pickle Classic at Kornegay Arena with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
