No. 15 Mount Olive spoils St. Andrews' home finale

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 25, 2005 2:07 PM

• Print
• Email

LAURINBURG - Elton Coffield scored 19 points and nationally 15th-ranked Mount Olive tied a school record for most wins in a season as the Trojans defeated St. Andrews 80-62 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's basketball Thursday.

The win was the 23rd of the season for Mount Olive, which set a school record in last year's 23-8 season. The Trojans have won six in a row and 14 of their last 15 games.

Mount Olive (23-3 overall, 17-2 CVAC) trailed throughout much of the first half as St. Andrews (12-14, 6-13) led 20-16 with 6:38 remaining.

Coffield hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final three minutes, including a 3 with 2:50 remaining for the eighth and final lead change of the game as the Trojans took a 26-25 lead.

Mount Olive, which scored 19 of its 35 points in the final six minutes of the half, went into the locker room with a 35-31 lead. The Trojans played most of the first half without Maurice Horton, who was whistled for two fouls in the first four minutes.

St. Andrews pulled within two early in the second half, but a 3-pointer by Coffield and a 3-point play by Sharome Holloway sparked a 12-2 run and put the Trojans ahead 47-35 with 13:08 remaining.

Mount Olive led by double digits the rest of the way.

Mount Olive built the lead to 18 points on Melvin Creddle's basket with 9:30 remaining, but St. Andrews chipped away at the lead as Mike Smith ignited a run with a three-pointer and hit two free throws with 7:31 left in the game to pull the Knights within 59-49.

But Elijah Rouse scored five points during a 7-0 run, which featured steals by Rouse and Coffield, as the Trojans built the lead to 66-49 with 6:14 left in the contest. Victor Young cut off the lane to draw a charge on Smith during the run, the second of two charges taken by Young, and Mount Olive was never threatened the rest of the way.

Young, who scored five of the Trojans' first seven points, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Holloway tallied 15 points and eight rebounds, and hit 9-of-12 free throws. He also matched a season high with four blocked shots.

David Truesdale led St. Andrews with 12 points, while Will Livingston added 11 points and Chad Eichelberger finished with 10.