No. 7-ranked Tarleton State ousts UMO from Elite 8

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 26, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Timely outside shooting and scrappy work against taller defenders on the boards had been University of Mount Olive's two strengths during the postseason.

They proved, along with foul trouble, to be the Trojans' downfall Wednesday afternoon.

Tarleton State scored 22 points off of offensive rebounds and held UMO to 24-percent shooting in the second half during its 77-59, quarterfinal-round victory in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight inside the Ford Center.

"Today just wasn't our day," Trojans head coach Joey Higginbotham said.

It was the first quarterfinal-round matchup between two top-10 teams in the Elite Eight since 2009. The Texans entered the contest ranked No. 7 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches poll, while the Trojans were No. 9.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Mike Moore gave Mount Olive its biggest lead, 19-9, midway through the opening half. The Texans whittled away at the deficit and tied the game at 29-29 on Deshawn Riddick's knocked down a reverse layup.

Guard Michael Hardge put Tarleton State ahead 30-29 with a free throw. Down by four, UMO junior Dontrell Brite ended the half with a buzzer-beating shot to make it 33-31.

Tarleton started the second half with a 3-pointer and backdoor dunk by Davene Carter. Higginbotham burned a 30-second timeout and roughly three minutes later, several of his key starters headed to the bench in foul trouble.

Officials called UMO for six fouls during a 3 1/2-minute span, but somehow the Trojans stayed within striking distance. Hargrove's reverse layup tied the game at 39-39 with just over 16 minutes left in regulation.

The Texans (31-3) regained the lead and seized complete command with an 11-0 run. UMO never threatened to get within single digits from that point.

"Tarleton State played a great game," Higginbotham said. "We struggled to get a rhythm going with all the foul trouble. We had some good looks that didn't go in, but we didn't counter their pressure with ball movement and body movement."

Moore paced the UMO offense with 18 points. Senior Kendall Hargrove provided a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) and JaQuan Blount contributed 13 points.

The Trojans (31-4) set school records for single-season wins, winning streak (17 games) and highest winning percentage (.912). UMO attempted to become the first North Carolina team to win a Division II championship since Barton in 2007 and just the fourth overall. Winston-Salem State and N.C. Central claimed national crowns in 1967 and 1989, respectively.

"I am so proud of this group because they are fighters and we went down fighting," Higginbotham said. "I'm so proud to have been a part of this season. These young men are great players, students and people. They brought a university and community together for some great memories.

"I would personally like to say 'thank you' to our parents, students, faculty, staff and the community of Mount Olive ... this was the most special time of my Mount Olive life and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the Trojan family."