January 10, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—The Mount Olive College men’s basketball team built a double-digit lead for most of the game and held off a late rally by host St. Andrews Presbyterian College to take a 87-82 Conference Carolinas men’s basketball victory on Thursday night in Harris Court.

The Trojans, who shot 57.6-percent for the game, remain perfect in 2008 at 3-0 to improve to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the league.

Freshman Zack Garst (Huntersville, N.C.) scored a career-high 18 points on a perfect 6-for-6 field goal performance for the Knights, who fell to 2-10 and 1-4. St. Andrews’ junior Joseph Gripper (Charlotte, N.C.) tied his season-high point total with a game-high 22 points including 10-of-11 free throws to lead all scorers.

Mount Olive held a seven-point lead in the first half before going on a 10-2 run to take its largest lead of the game at 40-25. The run was highlighted by a 10 second sequence that included a block by senior Brandon Streeter (Jacksonville, N.C.), a defensive rebound by junior Justin Melton (Yorktown, Va.), and a fast break dunk by sophomore Mike Holloman (Virginia Beach, Va.) on a freshman Shaughnnon Washam (Norfolk, Va.) assist.

SAPC clawed back to within 10, 42-32, at halftime with a 7-2 run in the final two minutes of the first period. Gripper and Streeter led their respective teams into the locker room with 10 points apiece.

MOC tied its largest lead of the night early in the second half, 49-34, but the Knights kept battling with a 13-4 run. Garst capped the rally with a three-pointer followed by a baseline jumper to pull St. Andrews to within six, 53-47, with over 14 minutes left.

Mount Olive slowly pulled back out to their double-digit lead and an old fashion three-point play by Melton extended the Trojans advantage to 13 (78-65) with 2:38 to go. MOC continued to hold the 13-point lead in the final minute but St. Andrews would not give up. Five made free throws and three layups in the final 40 seconds to edge the Knights close but the deficit proved too big as the Trojans held on for the five-point victory.

St. Andrews shot 47.4% from the floor but pulled close by connecting on 24-of-31 (77.4%) free throw attempts. MOC finished with the rebounding edge, 33-32, and showed why they lead the conference in blocked shots with eight total swats.

Melton led four Trojans in double digits with 17 points while Streeter finished with 14 points. Holloman tallied 12 points to go along with his game-highs of eight assists and seven rebounds. Sophomore Kendrick Easley (Norfolk, Va.) added 11 points.

Gripper and Garst were the only Knights in double digits. Junior Charles Phillips (Decatur, Ga.) scored nine points while senior Jeff Worley (Charlotte, N.C.) had a season-high eight. Garst and senior Bradley Hippolyte (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tied for team-high rebounding honors crashing the glass for six boards apiece. Garst also made a game-high three blocks.

St. Andrews next hosts Conference Carolinas rival Anderson University on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. while Mount Olive travels to Banner Elk, N.C. for a league battle against Lees-McRae College at the same time.