FLORENCE, S.C. — Shane Peterson reached a major career milestone on Tuesday night, scoring his 1,000th career point while helping lead the University of Mount Olive to a hard-fought 86–84 road win over Francis Marion in UMO's conference opener.

Peterson finished with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers and grabbing nine rebounds in a performance that anchored the Trojans on both ends. His milestone bucket came as part of a steady shooting night that kept UMO in control for much of the contest.

The Trojans built an early double-digit lead and took a 45–41 advantage into halftime behind the hot hands of Peterson, Matt Kirby, and Raul Perez. Francis Marion surged late, briefly taking the lead in the final two minutes, but UMO responded with poise down the stretch.

Kirby delivered a crucial performance at the line, finishing with 15 points and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the stripe in the second half—including four within the final minute of the game (1:01 and with nine seconds left) to secure the win. 

Perez added 15 points, nine rebounds, and a team-high eight assists, while Redford Dunton chipped in 12 points and Shawn Wilson finished with 11 points.

Despite being outscored 56–30 in the paint, the Trojans made up the difference with 11 made threes, 21 assists, and timely defensive stops in the closing minute.

With Peterson's milestone and a gritty road win to open conference play, UMO leaves Florence with momentum heading into their next game against Winston-Salem State at home on Monday at 5:30 pm.