Mount Olive wins over Shaw

RALEIGH – Behind five players in double-figures, the University of Mount Olive men’s basketball team registered an 87-79 victory at Shaw on Tuesday night in non-conference play.

With the win, the Trojans improved to 1-2 this season after playing their third game in five days. Head coach Dory Hines secured his first career win at UMO after returning to his alma mater. Hines played for Mount Olive from 2010-14. Meanwhile, the Bears dropped to 0-3.

Senior Michael Brown delivered another dynamic performance after matching a season-high with 26 points on 6-10 shooting while converting 10-11 from the free-throw line. He also dished out seven assists and collected eight rebounds with two steals in 39 minutes. In three games this year, Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Freshman Ryan Roberts finished with 15 points on 5-11 from the field with three treys. He added two assists and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench. Junior Derreco Miller tallied 13 points after making 7-10 from the charity stripe while totaling six rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes. Senior Trayvon Ferrell notched 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 33 minutes, while freshman Shane Peterson posted 10 points and two assists in 23 minutes.

The Bears opened the contest with an 11-3 lead in the initial three-plus minutes before Peterson nailed a three-pointer to cut into the deficit. Shaw continued to build on their lead forcing a pair of turnovers and converting four shots to stretch the advantage to 19-11 at the 11:42 mark.

Brown took control of the offense for the next three-plus minutes after scoring eight consecutive points to close the gap to 23-19. Following a pair of free-throws by the Bears, the Trojans went on a 13-2 run after knocking down three treys, led by senior Cole Johnson with six points to take a 32-27 lead. Shaw tied the contest at 32 before UMO converted three straight shots to reclaim the lead, 41-34. The Bears scored back-to-back baskets in the final 35 seconds as Mount Olive held a 41-38 advantage at the break.

In the second half, Shaw got the offense going in the opening five-plus minutes after shooting six-of-nine from the floor to retake the lead, 53-49. UMO would tie the game at 58 with 10:34 remaining after knocking down a pair of three-pointers before the teams exchanged points over the next two-plus minutes.

Mount Olive created separation with six straight points to take a 73-69 lead with 4:51 remaining before the Bears worked the deficit down to one point, 77-76 with 2:38 left. The Trojans countered with a 10-3 run over the final two minutes of the game to claim an 87-79 win.

UMO finished the contest shooting 44.6 percent (25-56) from the floor while converting 25-33 (75.8 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Shaw shot 49.2 percent (30-61) and shot just 3-18 (16.7 percent) from three-point range. The Bears finished with a 36-32 rebound advantage with 40 points in the paint. The Trojans scored 21 points off the bench and 16 points off turnovers.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics