Mount Olive men earn split in Wilson
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on December 3, 2011 11:35 PM
MOC SPORTS INFORMATION
WILSON -- For 33 minutes Saturday, Saint Augustine's held Mount Olive preseason All-Americans Craig Hayes and Derek Staton in check. The duo came alive, however, combining for 10 points in a 14-4 run to end the game, lifting the Trojans to a 62-53 come-from-behind win in day two of the Barton College 45-Second Classic.
The Falcons (3-3) shot 56 percent from the field and held Hayes and Staton to a combined five points in building a 36-26 halftime lead.
The Trojans (6-1) chipped away at the deficit then made their move midway through the second half. Ewon Wright entered the game with just over 11 minutes left and immediately hit a short jumper and a three-pointer to give Mount Olive its first lead of the game, 41-40.
The Falcons regained the lead, 49-48, on a jumper in the lane from Jeremy Banks. Two Staton free throws put the Trojans back in front and started a 10-0 run that decided the game. Staton and Hayes scored all 10 points. Hayes, who missed Friday night's tournament opener with an injury, showed no signs of wear in tipping in a pair of missed three-pointers during the stretch.
Two free throws from David Brown ended the run and trimmed Mount Olive's lead to 58-51 with 2:04 left, but two free throws from Jordan McCain and a high-flying dunk from Kendall Hargrove off a Staton assist ended all doubt.
The Trojan defense held the Falcons to just 17 points after intermission. The Falcons were just 5-20 from the field, missing all eight attempts from three-point range.
Hayes finished with 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Trojans, while Staton added 11. Hargrove led all players with six assists.
Banks led the all scorers with 17 for the Falcons. Brown added 10. The Trojans have a nine-day break before returning to action December 12 against UNC Pembroke. Game-time at Kornegay Arena is 7 p.m.
Trojans fall to ECSU
WILSON -- Derek Staton scored a season-high 28 points, but Elizabeth City State made 9-of-10 free throws in the final 1:11 to hand Mount Olive its first loss of the season, 85-80, in the opener of the Barton College 45-Second Men's Basketball Classic Friday night in Wilson.
The senior pre-season All-American brought Mount Olive (5-1) within 44-43 by converting three free throw attempts with 17:43 remaining, but the Vikings (5-2) responded by holding the Trojans without a field goal for nearly seven minutes.
Angelo Sharpless started the decisive spurt by Elizabeth City State with an assist, then finished it with a layup that gave the Vikings the biggest lead, 66-51 with 7:56 left.
Mount Olive fought back to threaten the Vikings. Down 13 with 4:20 left, Staton and Kason Cheeks combined to score the Trojans' next 11 points. Cheeks' three-point play closed the gap to 74-68 with 1:42 left. The Trojans got as close as six three more times before Darrell Patterson's three-pointer just before the buzzer provided the final tally.
Marquie Cooke converted six free throws and Quintin Spady added two more in the final minute to prevent a Trojan comeback.
Cheeks and Patterson each finished with 13 points for Mount Olive, and Dory Hines added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Mount Olive dominated the boards, outrebounding the Vikings, 44-32, including 17-3 on the offensive end.
Elizabeth City responded by shooting 54.5 percent from the field, compared to just 39 percent for the Trojans. Sharpless and Cooke finished with 20 points apiece for the Vikings. Omar Jones added 16 points off the bench.
Mount Olive was without team scoring leader Craig Hayes, who was out with an injury. His status is day-to-day.