Trojan men advance to Conference Carolinas basketball semis

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on March 2, 2016 1:48 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- March.

It's the time of year reserved for moody weather patterns, heavy doses of allergy-inducing pollen and pressure-packed, win-or-go-home free throws with a gym full of crazies breathing down your neck -- panic attack optional.

University of Mount Olive survived that and more Tuesday night, dodging Pfeiffer in regulation, then running away in overtime to post an 87-78 victory in Conference Carolinas tournament quarterfinal action at Kornegay Arena.

Next up?

A semifinal clash with regular season champion King University in Bristol, Tenn., on Saturday night.

The first half was a slugfest, with both teams guarding deep into the shot clock and forcing awkward, heavily-contested shots on both ends. UMO, which moved fluidly in the game's opening minutes, set about the course of changing the game's pace.

"We wanted to speed them up a little bit," head coach Joey Higginbotham noted, "but we (really) wanted to keep them out of the paint... they got loose a couple of times and kicked it out for three."

And that's where Falcon guard Andrew Guerrero went to work.

The junior was problematic for the Trojans, slipping through tiny cracks in the half court and being aggressive from beyond the arc. He finished the contest with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Falcons led 35-30 at the half.

But the Trojans, who struggled early with Pfeiffer's length in the paint, continued their plan to aggressively drive the basketball -- a directive the UMO staff reiterated at the break.

"They're huge -- by far the biggest team in our league, and you have to go to the rim strong," Higginbotham said. "If you go in there (the paint) lazy, they'll put it back... they had nine blocks, but we still attacked."

Especially Jaquan Blount.

The senior, who led the Trojans with 22 points and 12 boards, simply loaded his team onto his back and made a sprint for the second-half buzzer. His effort, which featured offense from every spot on the floor, was finalized in regulation by two free throws that made the score 71-70.

Then March Madness made an appearance.

Following a free throw by Pfeiffer's Xavier Evans and a Falcon defensive rebound, Guerrero was fouled in the scramble of a broken possession by Blount with just 0.4 ticks remaining in regulation.

Amidst a decibel-tuning rush of Trojan crowd noise, he stepped to the line. He missed both.

Elated and relieved, Mount Olive (17-12 overall) used its good fortune to get organized for the overtime session.

"We took advantage of our second life," said Higginbotham, "and made no question that we were going to win the game."

The extra period certainly reflected as much, with the Trojans playing their best basketball of the night. They moved crisply and easily found buckets in the paint. From the free throw line, they made 8 of 10 attempts -- part of an unbelievable 43-attempt charity parade.

Ultimately, it was a classic case of survive and advance - which is just fine by Higginbotham. After all, it is March.

"We move on to the next one," Higginbotham said, "and we know what we're going to get. If we come with the right mindset, I feel confident we can get the job done."