WILMINGTON, N.C. (Nov. 4) – Starting off the 2024-25 season with an exhibition game on the road, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team suffered a 143-91 loss at UNCW on Monday night at the Trask Coliseum.
With the loss, the Trojans continue their exhibition schedule ahead of the official start of the year with a matchup at Richmond scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 6. This season, Mount Olive returns three of its four leading scorers and was selected 11th in the preseason Conference Carolinas poll. Meanwhile, the Seahawks start the campaign with a 1-0 record after being voted third in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason rankings.
Redshirt sophomore
Lureon Walker led Mount Olive with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting while converting seven-of-eight from the free-throw line in 23 minutes of play. Redshirt junior transfer
Kobe Jones finished with 17 points on a perfect six-of-six from the field and grabbed four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench. Redshirt junior
Redford Dunton totaled 14 points on 5-of-11 shots in 25 minutes, while freshman
Raul Perez recorded eight points, three rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes.
UNCW started the game with a 10-0 run behind a pair of shots from beyond the arc before junior
Shane Peterson nailed a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 10-3. Following consecutive made shots by the Seahawks, the Trojans tallied six of the following nine points to trail 17-9 at the 15:35 mark. UNCW scored four unanswered points before the sides traded the next five baskets. With the Seahawks ahead 38-17 at the 9:51 mark, the Trojans tallied six of the following eight points with four scored by Dunton. UNCW stretched its lead to 55-25 after a 15-2 run before Mount Olive made three-of-four from the field to trail 62-34 with 3:38 left. The Seahawks finished the first half shooting six-of-eight from the floor with a trio of three-pointers to head into halftime with an 81-43 lead.
In the second half, UNCW opened with nine straight points before Mount Olive scored six of the next eight points to trail 92-49 with 16:19 left. Over the next two-plus minutes, the sides exchanged the following 14 points before the Seahawks eclipsed the 100-point mark with a layup at the 13:19 mark. The Trojans responded by converting a perfect five-of-five from the field, led by Dunton with five points before calling a timeout at 9:43 in the second half. With UNCW ahead 136-79 with 3:26 to go, Mount Olive scored 12 of the final 19 points, as the contest finished by a final score of 143-91.
UMO shot at a 43.8 clip (35-of-80) from the floor while going 16-of-23 (69.6 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, UNCW finished the game shooting 68.8 percent (53-of-77) and converted 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) from three-point range. The Seahawks finished with a 50-28 rebounding advantage with 74 points in the paint, while the Trojans registered 49 points off the bench.
UNCW featured eight players in double-figures, led by graduate student Bo Montgomery with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting while adding seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block.
Mount Olive continues exhibition play on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when it travels to Richmond with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
