Conference Carolinas basketball awards

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 5, 2014 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

CONCORD -- University of Mount Olive's Dontrell Brite and Dory Hines earned all-conference accolades and Joey Higginbotham received men's coach-of-the-year honors during the Conference Carolinas basketball awards ceremony Tuesday evening.

The Trojan men face Limestone in the tournament semifinals today. Tip-off is 3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center.

Brite, a first-team selection, concluded regular-season play ranked ninth in scoring (16.8 points) and assists (3.6) during conference play. The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard has scored in double figures 15 straight games, including a 26-point outing against archrival Barton in the regular-season finale for both teams Feb. 25.

Hines, a second-team pick who hails from Kinston, is UMO's all-time career assists leader (610) and ranks 33rd nationally with 5.5 assists. The 6-2 senior guard is the lone Trojan men's hoops history to record a triple-double.

In his sixth season, Higginbotham collected his third coach-of-the-year award. The Trojans won 10 of their final 11 regular-season contests, and seized their third regular-season league title with Higginbotham.

Women's basketball

CONCORD -- University of Mount Olive's Jasmine McDonald and Katie Paschal collected first- and second-team all-Conference Carolinas accolades, respectively, during an awards ceremony Tuesday evening.

The Trojan women face archrival Barton in the tournament semifinals today. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center.

McDonald emerged the first-ever player in UMO basketball history -- female or male -- to record two triple-doubles in a season and career. The Lorton, Va., native accomplished the feat (17 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) against Erskine last Saturday.

One of five UMO seniors, McDonald averages a double-double (12.1 points, 10 rebounds) and ranks 28th nationally in assists and 33rd in rebounds.

Paschal, from Williamston, ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (14.5 points) and free-throw percentage (81.5). The East Carolina transfer was the Trojan women's leading scorer in four consecutive games during a seven-game win streak in February.

UMO seeks its second straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

Baseball

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Jay Gonzalez cranked out two hits and drove in a run during the University of Mount Olive's 5-2, non-conference loss to No. 4-ranked Lander (S.C.) University on Tuesday evening.

Limited to one hit through five innings, the Trojans (12-7 overall) found some offensive momentum in the sixth. Cody Britt connected on a lead-off double down the left-field line, while Zak Orrison reached on an error.

Gonzalez plated Britt with a single, which tied the game at 1-1. UMO eventually left the go-ahead run stranded at third base after a strikeout and inning-ending flyout.

The Bearcats regained the lead 2-1 during its half of the sixth inning and pushed across two additional runs in the seventh.

Down 4-1, the No. 12-ranked Trojans rallied in the eighth. Rob Shipman drew a two-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Will Bynum. Bynum advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Chase Edwards' RBI single to left field.

UMO didn't score again.

The Trojans entertain in-state foe St. Augustine's today in a make-up game canceled earlier this season due to snow. First pitch is 2 p.m. at Scarborough Field.

Softball

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Beth Overman swatted a pair of home runs during the University of Mount Olive's doubleheader loss to Peach Belt member Georgia College on Tuesday afternoon.

The Bobcats won 5-2 and 6-2.

The Trojans left a total of 18 runners on base during the twinbill.

Overman homered and Katie Moore plated one run during the opener. Overman's two-RBI, seventh-inning home run helped UMO avoid a shutout in the nightcap.

Mount Olive (9-15 overall) travel to GRU Augusta today for a doubleheader. GRU defeated the Trojans, 2-0, in the Mid-South Classic last weekend.

Women's golf

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Freshman Lovisa Tillstrom placed 36th individually and the University of Mount Olive took 10th in the team competition during the AASU Women's Golf Pirate Invitational.

The 36-hole tournament included four top-25 teams.

Tillstrom shot a two-day total of 168. Fellow freshman Anne Barboteau shared 37th place at 169. Stefany King (170) and Julie Loennechen (172) wound up among the top 50 in individual play.

Emy Ohling posted a 184.

Mount Olive logged a team score of 679.

The Trojans return to action next Monday at the Hilton Head (S.C.) Lakes Invitational.

Indoor track

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The University of Mount Olive's distance medley relay clinched a spot in the season-ending NCAA Division II men's track and field championships during the George Mason University Last Chance meet.

The Trojans' foursome of Karl Goodman, Aki Kitigawa, Dyland Lafond and Jacob Urys recorded the fourth-fastest time (9 minutes, 57.89 seconds) in the nation time season.

Lafond has also qualified in the mile run and 3,000 meters.

The national championship meet is March 14-15 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.