MOUNT OLIVE (Dec. 9) – In a highly competitive non-conference game, the Trojans suffered a heartbreaking 117-113 overtime loss on Monday night versus Elizabeth City State at Kornegay Arena.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team falls to 5-4 this season while holding a 3-3 record on their home court. It marked a consecutive year the sides met in Kornegay Arena with the series split 2-2 dating back to 2011. Meanwhile, Elizabeth City State improves to 6-3 overall and boasts a 3-0 mark against Conference Carolinas opponents.
Freshman
Chase Dawson scored a season-high 27 points while adding three rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 37 minutes. He currently leads the team with 18.2 points per game while producing five 20-point performances. Junior
Shane Peterson finished with 24 points on 6-of-10 attempts with four three-pointers while converting 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. In 35 minutes on the court, he added four rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
Redshirt sophomore
Christopher Brown registered a career-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four rebounds, and one assist in 18 minutes off the bench. Redshirt junior
Redford Dunton contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and two steals in 24 minutes. Freshman
Raul Perez reached double-figures with 10 points while adding five rebounds, two assists, and three steals in 25 minutes. Sophomore
Kennard Davis delivered an impressive stat line behind six points, six assists, and five steals in 29 minutes.
Mount Olive held an early 13-12 edge in the opening six-plus minutes of the half before going on a 12-2 run, led by Dawson with six points, to stretch the lead to 25-14 with 11:35 remaining. The Vikings countered by scoring 14 of the next 16 points behind a trio of three-pointers to claim a 28-27 advantage. The UMO offensive found its rhythm over the next six minutes converting on six-of-nine shots to hold a 44-36 lead. The sides traded baskets down the stretch, as the Trojans took a 50-43 edge into halftime.
In the second half, Mount Olive extended the lead to 70-59 with 13:21 left after going on a 10-4 run with Brown scoring seven points. Elizabeth City State managed to cut the deficit to 74-70, but UMO continued to maintain the lead with an 81-74 edge. With 1:10 left in regulation, the Trojans held a 95-86 advantage before ECSU trimmed the deficit to 98-96 behind a 10-3 rally. Mount Olive hit a free throw to go up 99-96 before the Vikings hit a three-pointer with three seconds left to send the contest to overtime, 99-99.
In OT, UMO went ahead 104-101 before ECSU responded with a 7-2 rally to take a 108-106 edge with 2:22 to go. The game featured three ties over the next minute before the Vikings hit a hook shot with 18 seconds to go before forcing a miss to clinch a 117-113 victory.
Mount Olive finished the contest shooting 36-of-74 (48.6 percent) from the floor while converting 73.3 percent (33-of-45) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Elizabeth City State posted a .575 field goal percentage (46-of-80) and made 16-of-27 (59.3 percent) from the charity stripe. The Vikings finished with a 49-31 rebounding advantage while scoring 68 points in the paint. The Trojans totaled 50 fastbreak points and 31 points off 25 turnovers.
ECSU sophomore Xavier Tubbs-Matthews scored a game-high 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting with six rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals in 42 minutes. Senior Michael Eads, Jr. registered 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one block, and three steals in 44 minutes. Graduate student Dericko Williams posted a double-double with 25 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, and four blocks in 37 minutes.
The Trojans will travel to face Chowan on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Conference Carolinas play with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
