Mount Olive men win fourth straight

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 23, 2005 2:02 AM

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From staff reports

ANDERSON, S.C. - Mount Olive outscored Anderson College 14-5 over the final 31/2 minutes to pull out an 81-72, NCAA Division II Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Abney Center.

Mount Olive, 13-2 overall and 7-1 in the CVAC, was led by Sharome Holloway, who scored a career-high 30 points. Elton Coffield added 15, and Maurice Horton chipped in 13 for Mount Olive.

"We had a great effort from several people, but Sharome probably played the best as far as production is concerned," veteran Trojans coach Bill Clingan said. "He just played a great game against some big people."

Mount Olive has won four straight following a home loss to Pfeiffer back on Jan. 10.

Anderson's fifth loss in its last six games dropped the homestanding Trojans to 5-9, 3-5.

Anderson was led by Alfred Boykin, who scored a career-high 22 points and Chris Poore with 11 points. Boykin was 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from behind the arc.

The game featured 13 lead changes and nine ties. After John LeSueur made a 3-point basket to give Anderson a 67-65 lead with 3:56 remaining, Holloway scored inside to tie the game at 67 with 3:37 left. That would be the final tie of the game.

Mount Olive went on an 8-0 run in the next 21/2 minutes to seize a 75-67 lead with 1:11 to play. Coffield scored two buckets, and Horton and Elijah Rouse had one basket each during the decisive run.

A 3-point basket by Poore cut the Mount Olive lead to 75-70 with 1:05 remaining, but Anderson got no closer than five points in the final minute.

Anderson held the largest lead of the first half -- six points -- and there were four lead changes in the final 45 seconds of the first half. After Boykin scored with nine seconds remaining to give Anderson a 37-36 lead, Plinio Broering scored on a putback with two seconds remaining to send Mount Olive to the locker room with a 38-37 lead at the break.

Both teams had good games from the field. Mount Olive shot 59 percent in the second half to finish the game at 56 percent, while Anderson finished the game at 51 percent.

Holloway was the game's leading rebounder with 12, but the boards were even at 29 rebounds for each team.

"Anderson probably played one of their better games at home (this season)," Clingan said. "They had some people who shot better than they have all year long. they tried to pack it in at times.

"It came down to the last three-to-four minutes of the game, basically. We did a great job executing the offense and got three or four key baskets. Once we got that lead, they started fouling us. (Our) kids hit some clutch free throws."

Mount Olive junior guard Melvin Creddle sprained an ankle in the first half, but is expected to play on Thursday night when the Trojans host St. Andrews.