MOUNT OLIVE, NC--The Lees-McRae Bobcats traveled to Mount Olive
College Saturday afternoon to take on the Trojans in Conference
Carolinas men's basketball action. The 18th ranked Trojans
disposed of the Bobcats 99-70 to improve to 17-4 (13-2 Conference
Carolinas) while the Bobcats record now stands at 4-18 (3-13).
The win also gave the Trojans sole possession of first place in
Conference Carolinas after entering the game tied with Pfeiffer.
The Falcons fell to Erskine 109-101 allowing the Trojans to stand
alone at the top. Brandon Streeter led the Trojans with 21 points
and 13 rebounds as a standing room only crowd of more than 1200
took in the contest as part of the 25th Annual Mount Olive College
Basketball Church Night. Congregations from churches across the
region were in attendance.
Mount Olive built an early five-point lead as Kendrick Easley's
three-pointer broke a scoreless tie. But Lees-McRae used a 7-0 run
as Raysean
Hairston's (Elizabethtown, NC) basket with 13:12 left in the
first half gave the Bobcats their only lead of the game at
11-9.
The game was tied five times before Josh Brown's three-pointer
with 7:00 remaining put Mount Olive ahead to stay. Lees-McRae
pulled within a point after Nick
DeSchepper's (Fishers, IN) second three-pointer, but Streeter's
putback and Easley's three-pointer highlighted a 14-2 run as the
Trojans built their biggest lead of the half at 40-27. Streeter
answered a Bobcat three-pointer with a putback in the final
half-minute and Mount Olive went into the locker room with a 42-30
halftime lead.
Streeter was a point away from a first-half double-double with
nine points and 10 boards. Eight of his rebounds before the break
were on the offensive end. Brown had 11 points and Easley had 10 in
the first half.
Lees-McRae got as close as eight points and DeSchepper scored
the first four points of the second half. But Streeter and
Shaughnnon Washum converted steals into fast break layups as Mount
Olive went on a 17-5 run to take a 59-39 lead with 13:55 left to
play. Streeter scored the Trojans' last 11 points during the
run.
Mike Holloman brought the crowd to its feet with a pair of
highlight reel plays on consecutive Trojan possessions midway
through the second half, finishing a Washum steal with a fastbreak
slam dunk, then driving the left baseline for another dunk. But
Lees-McRae wouldn't go away as Blake Carr (Seymour, TN) connected
on a three-pointer and Mario McClunie hit a pair of free throws
with 10:52 left to pull the Bobcats to 64-50.
The lead was 16 when Easley scored six points during a 10-0 run
and Brown's layup gave Mount Olive an 80-54 advantage with 8:26
remaining. The lead grew to as many as 35 points after a slam dunk
putback by 5-foot-11 point guard Justin Melton. Lees-McRae shaved
10 points off the lead before the Trojans finished the scoring on
dunks by Holloman and Kason Cheeks.
Saturday's contest marked the second consecutive game and third
time this season the Trojans scored exactly 99 points. Mount Olive
surpassed the 50 percent mark in shooting for the 10th time in 11
games, going 39-71 from the floor (54.9 percent).
Easley finished with 18 points for Mount Olive, while Brown
scored 15 and Craig Hayes added 13 points. Washum dished out a
career-high seven assists. The Trojans outrebounded Lees-McRae
42-28.
DeSchepper led Lees-McRae with 19 points, while Hairston
finished with 13 points and Carr added 11. ReShon
Benjamin (Valdosta, GA) shared game-high honors with seven
assists.
The Bobcats will return to action Wednesday evening when
Pfeiffer visits Williams Gymnasium for a 7:30pm contest. For the
Trojans, their next outing will be a Monday evening home contest
against Chowan.
PICTURED: Nick DeSchepper
