PICKLE CLASSIC: UNC Pembroke hands Mount Olive 3rd straight loss

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on November 21, 2015 11:07 PM

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bdavis@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive's basketball team showed up hungry for the 50th annual Pickle Classic.

UNC Pembroke arrived hungrier.

And the No. 13-ranked Braves claimed the Classic championship with a 76-69 victory over the No. 6-ranked Trojans, who lost their third consecutive game within a five-day period.

From the opening minutes, UMO senior Dontrell Brite dove for the loose ball, stole from Pembroke in the lane and drove the length of the court for fast-break layups.

Brite crossed over in front of a Pembroke defender with nine minutes left before halftime, but chose to pass the ball to freshman Jamaal Matin for a 2-point jumper.

The Trojans led 18-11 and the Braves answered.

Freshman Alex Bradley and sophomore Brandon Watts both shot 3-pointers, and freshman Carson Mounce drew a foul as he drove into the lane for a layup.

Pembroke led 22-21.

Trojans' senior John Wieland assisted sophomore James Rucker with a jump shot. Sophomore Tayon Gleaves threw up a 3-point shot, and Brite drove the lane for two points and a free throw.

However, Brite's second foul took him out of the game with three minutes remaining in first-half action.

The Braves tied the game at 31-31 with less than two minutes remaining. Senior Jihad Wright snatched the ball from the Trojans, which resulted in senior Brandon Winford -- a graduate of Charles B. Aycock -- adding two points to the Braves' halftime lead of 36-31.

Brite had 18 points in the first half -- and stayed hungry.

During the first five minutes of second-half play, Brite drove the court three times off of steals from his teammates and scored in transition.

Brite planted his feet four feet from the 3-point line and fired a long shot. The Trojans trailed 44-40.

Senior Dominique Reed shot a jump shot to carry his team within one point of the Braves, but Brite received his fourth foul with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

That's when Pembroke's senior Quamain Rose took over. Rose shot two 3-pointers with seven minutes remaining in the second half. The Braves led 67-57.

Senior JaQuan Blount stole the ball and assisted sophomore Grant Dickinson with a 3-pointer. Brite returned and ran the court for a layup. The Trojans got within five points of the Braves with three minutes left in the game, 70-65.

Brite continued to drive into the lane, but the starving Braves' defense tightened up. UNC Pembroke slipped away from the Trojans in the final minute.

Rose shot a jump-shot dagger, and Bradley hit one of his free throws -- sealing the Braves' victory. Rose ended the game with 22 points, and Brandon Winford had 12 points.

Brite ended the game with 35 points, while Moore had nine points. James Rucker added seven points.