MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive men's basketball team put together a strong second-half effort but ultimately fell to Francis Marion, 89–78, Wednesday night inside Kornegay Arena.

The Trojans trailed 53–37 at halftime after Francis Marion shot 60.6 percent from the field in the opening half. Mount Olive responded with its best stretch after the break, outscoring the Patriots 41–36 in the second half and cutting the deficit to as few as six points late in the game.

Raul Perez led Mount Olive with 18 points off the bench while shooting 6-of-10 from the floor, going 5-of-9 from the line. Jaevian Alston finished with 17 points, adding a team-high seven rebounds with Christian Ananaba following with 18 points.

Mount Olive controlled the glass, outrebounding Francis Marion 42–27, including a 25–2 advantage in second-chance points. The Trojans also received a balanced effort from the bench, which contributed 40 points on the night.

Mount Olive shot 41.9 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range, while Francis Marion finished at 51.7 percent overall. An early start by the Patriots allowed them to capitalize garnering the victory over the Trojans.

The Trojans head to Georgia for their next contest against Young Harris this Saturday at 4 p.m.