No. 17-ranked Trojan men conclude three-game homestand Saturday

Published in Sports on January 20, 2006 2:07 PM

• Print
• Email

The nationally 17th-ranked Mount Olive men's basketball team should be well rested going into Saturday's game. Not only have the Trojans not played since Monday, all but three players were in the game for less than 20 minutes.

No. 17 Mount Olive wraps up its three-game homestand Saturday as the Trojans play host to Lees-McRae in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's basketball. Tipoff is 4 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.

Mount Olive (11-3 overall, 5-2 CVAC) is coming off a 102-50 win over Belmont Abbey Monday as the Trojans built a 32-point halftime lead and had all of their starters off the floor for the final 10 minutes of the game.

Sophomore guard Montel Jones scored a career-high 20 points, going 8-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range. Jones contributed to the Trojans' 18 three-pointers in the game, which is tied for the fifth-highest single-game total in Division II this season.

Freshman point guard Justin Melton established career highs Monday with 27 minutes played, 12 points and seven assists. Monday's contest gave Melton and Jones extended minutes after spending most of the season playing behind three senior guards and an All-American junior.

The Trojans continue to have four players -- all guards -- averaging in double figures: junior Elton Coffield (15.2 points per game) and seniors Melvin Creddle (12.9), Victor Young (12.4) and Maurice Horton (12.1).

Lees-McRae (3-11, 1-6) fell 96-70 at Limestone Thursday. Aaron Dugger led the Bobcats with 20 points.

Saturday's contest marks the second meeting this season between the two teams. The Trojans opened the season with a 111-67 victory over Lees-McRae in the first round of the 40th Annual Pickle Classic. Young, who was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, led five players in double figures with 19 points. The game did not count toward the CVAC standings.

Mount Olive, which is ranked No. 4 in this week's NCAA II East Region Poll, enters Saturday's game on a 17-game home winning streak.

The Trojans are 9-0 at home this season.

NOTES: Mount Olive's 18 three-pointers against Belmont Abbey was the highest total in Division II as of the Jan. 10 NCAA statistics report. However, a number of games that were not included in the report were added to the Jan. 17 report, dropping the Trojans' total to fifth ... Mount Olive has scored at least 100 points in each of its last three home games against Lees-McRae.

MOC Sports Information