Trojans top King on the road
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Dec. 17) – Senior Michael Brown matched a career-high with 32 points on Dec. 17, as the Trojans claimed their first Conference Carolinas win of the season in a 100-91 victory at King.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive men’s basketball team improved to 3-8 overall with a 1-3 mark in conference action. It marked the first win for the Trojans in Bristol since the 2017 season. Meanwhile, King dropped to 3-8 this season with 2-3 record in league play.
Brown tied a career-high with 32 points on 11 of 22 shooting while adding nine of 10 from the free throw line. He also totaled five rebounds and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. The Virginia native registered his second career 30-point performance, both occurring on the road at King. He scored 32 points last season on Jan. 29 in Bristol. Brown is one of three players in the conference averaging over 20 points per game this season.
Freshman Shane Peterson finished with 14 points after converting four of five from the field with three treys in 23 minutes, while junior Derreco Miller contributed 13 points on six of nine shots with four rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes off the bench. Freshman Brent Randleman tallied 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes off the bench. Senior Trayvon Ferrell produced 11 points, four rebounds and two steals in 15 minutes.
The Tornado established an early 9-6 advantage before UMO mounted a 7-2 rally to claim a 13-11 lead with 13:14 left. King regained the advantage with a layup, but the Trojans went on a 12-4 run, led by Brown with seven points, to hold a 25-18 lead with 7:46 remaining in the first half. The Tornado managed to cut the deficit to 31-25 before Mount Olive scored eight of the following 11 points to extend the advantage to 39-28 with 3:36 left before King closed the gap to 39-35 with seven-straight points. The UMO lead remained at four, 47-43, at halftime.
In the second half, the Trojans, led by Ferrell with five points, built the advantage to 56-48. King remained within striking distance over the initial five minutes of the second before UMO used a 14-4 run to stretch the lead to 74-58 with 10:26 left. The Tornado kept the contest competitive and trailed 84-77 with 5:10 remaining. Brown led the team down the stretch with nine points, as the Trojans sealed the win.
UMO shot 53.4 percent (38 of 70) from the floor after going 15 of 21 (71.4 percent) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, King finished the game shooting 52.2 percent (35 of 67) and converted six of 18 (33.3 percent) from three-point range. The Trojans held a 39-31 rebounding advantage and scored 56 points in the paint. The Tornado finished with 44 points in the paint.
— From University of Mount Olive Athletics
