Defense, bench play carry UMO men past Erskine

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 27, 2016 11:09 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Defense and bench play.

Those two factors allowed the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team to close out regular-season play in victorious fashion -- especially for its five seniors Friday evening.

Tayon Gleaves delivered a 17-point, six-assist performance in a reserve role during the Trojans' 74-59 triumph over Conference Carolinas foe Erskine (S.C.) College inside Kornegay Arena.

UMO secured the No. 4 seed for the season-ending tournament, and plays host to in-state nemesis Pfeiffer U on Tuesday.

Tip-off is 7 p.m.

"I thought our guys fought through it, really guarded them and I thought we forced them into some things," UMO head coach Joey Higginbotham said. "Our bench carried us -- Tayon, Jamaal Matin, Emmanuel Patton, Mykel Hart -- they came in and really stepped our defense up.

"That's what we need. We've got to be defensive-minded first."

Gleaves, Matin, Patton and Hart combined for 32 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal -- and most importantly -- no turnovers. That effort proved effective against Erskine's deliberate offensive scheme that not only shortened the game, but turned each possession into a valuable commodity.

The Trojans (16-2 overall, 11-9 CC) exerted considerable energy on the defensive end of the court. Their discipline carried over to the offensive end where they slowed the pace, and executed their halfcourt sets.

The game featured four ties and three lead changes during the first 10 1/2 minutes of the contest.

Dontrell Brite's assist to Matin underneath gave UMO a 20-18 lead it would never relinquish. The Trojans closed the half with a 16-6 run, that included 11 second-half points.

"We didn't put pressure on our defense," Higginbotham said.

Patton's open-court layup off Gleaves' steal gave Mount Olive its biggest lead, 60-42, with 9 1/2 minutes to go. Gleaves also converted three field goals, including two 3-pointers during that stretch.

Brannon Dark's blocked shot underneath the basket allowed Erskine to score 11 of the next 17 points. Blake Maness' 15-foot bank shot pulled the Flying Fleet to within 65-52 with 5:53 to go.

"Up 18, we got gambly," Higginbotham said. "We tried to play the scoreboard instead of keep doing what we did. The last thing you need to do against a team like that is guard for 28 seconds and then come back and jack a two (offensively).

"You're putting pressure on yourself."

Gleaves' assist to Matin ended the surge and fueled a game-ending run. Matin finished with eight points for the Trojans, who owned a commanding 32-0 advantage over the Flying Fleet in total bench scoring.

"It was huge, not only to get that monkey off our back, but just for our psyche," Higginbotham said. "I was really pleased with the effort. It was a big win for us to get that momentum going into the conference tournament."