Mount Olive will face Concord tonight

Published in Sports on December 6, 2005 2:06 PM

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In last year's game against Concord, the Mount Olive men's basketball team set a school record for most points and notched the highest single-game field goal percentage in NCAA Division II in 2004-05. Heading into tonight's game, the Trojans aren't thinking about scoring records. They just want an in-region win.

Nationally sixth-ranked Mount Olive plays at home for the first time in two weeks as the Trojans play host to Concord (W. Va.) in non-conference men's basketball tonight at Kornegay Arena. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

Mount Olive (4-1) is coming off a 65-59 win at Limestone Saturday as the Trojans rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit. Elton Coffield scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first half as Mount Olive outscored Limestone 22-5 to end the first half and take a two-point halftime lead. The Trojans also outscored Limestone 11-1 over the final three minutes of the second half.

Saturday's contest marked the third consecutive game the Trojans trailed by double digits in the first half. Mount Olive rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat Francis Marion two weeks ago against Francis Marion, but feel last Tuesday at Queens after trailing by 10 at the half.

Coffield leads the Trojans with 17.2 points per game, while Melvin Creddle is averaging 15.4 points per contest. Both Coffield and Creddle have reached double figures in each of Mount Olive's first five games. Victor Young is averaging 12.4 points.

Concord (1-4) fell to No. 22 West Virginia State 118-92 Saturday. Tyrone Anderson, who is averaging 26.6 points per game, scored 28 points in the loss. Tonight's game is Concord's second in a row against a nationally-ranked team.

Last December, Coffield scored a career-high 31 points as Mount Olive set a school single-game scoring record in a 119-96 victory at Concord. The Trojans shot 71.6 percent from the field, the highest single-game field goal percentage in NCAA II last season.

Mount Olive (Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference) and Concord (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) are both members of the NCAA II East Region. Tonight's game will count towards regional rankings when NCAA II post-season bids are determined in March.

The Trojans' No. 6 national ranking is their highest ever during the regular season. This week's poll will be announced late this afternoon.

MOC Sports Information