Jordan McCain hit a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift Mount Olive to an 81-80 victory over Wingate in non-conference men's basketball Wednesday at Wingate, N.C. McCain led the Trojans with 18 points, while John Wieland added a career-high 17 points and Dory Hines came within one point of the first triple-double in Mount Olive men's basketball history.
McCain's jumper with 2:47 left to play tied the game 75-75 as Hines dished out his 10th assist of the contest. After a defensive stop, Mount Olive (2-1) took the lead on a basket by Mike Moore with 2:09 remaining.
The Trojans made it a two-possession game on another basket by Moore with 1:17 left. Wingate (0-1) answered with a three-pointer by Ryan Daye to pull within 79-78 with 59 seconds remaining. Daye scored a game-high 35 points for the Bulldogs.
Wingate got the ball back with 32 seconds left after a defensive stop and Deion Thurman kept the Bulldogs' possession alive with an offensive rebound and drew a foul with 13 seconds remaining. Thurman hit both free throws to put Wingate back on top 80-79.
Mount Olive played for the last shot as McCain drove the lane and was fouled on a layup attempt. He tied the game with his first free throw and connected on the second shot for the game winner.
McCain was 8-for-9 from the free throw line Wednesday and is 18-for-19 from the line for the season.
Hines was at nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists midway through the second half. He pulled down his 10th rebound of the game with just over five minutes left, but missed on his last field goal attempt of the game. He finished with 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Hines' three-point play capped a 10-0 Trojan run to start the game. Wingate rallied to take a 17-14 lead with 12:13 remaining as Daye scored 15 of the Bulldogs' first 17 points.
Mount Olive tied the game 23-23 with 8:33 left on Wieland's second three-pointer of the half. Wingate broke away with an 11-2 run and the Bulldogs led the remainder of the half. The Trojans got as close as 38-35 after McCain hit a pair of free throws with 3:06 remaining. But that's as close as Mount Olive would get as Wingate used Xavier Griffin's three-point play with five seconds left to take a 46-39 halftime lead.
The Trojans rallied early in the second half and McCain put Mount Olive back on top 50-49 with a pair of free throws with 16:33 remaining. Wingate regained the lead on three-pointers by Daye and Griffin, but Dontrell Brite hit a three for Mount Olive to tie the game 55-55 with 14:47 left.
The game saw six ties over the next 11 minutes, but Mount Olive never trailed again until Daye's layup with 3:47 left gave Wingate a 72-71 lead. The Trojans regained the lead on a pair of free throws by Moore, but the Bulldogs went back on top 75-73 on Daye's three-point play with 2:58 left to play.
McCain and Wieland were among four Trojans in double figures as Dominique Reed scored 11 points and Moore finished with 10 points. Wieland had three of the Trojans' six three-pointers, while Reed was 4-for-4 from the field and Moore was 4-for-4 from the line. McCain and Wieland each pulled down seven boards to help give Mount Olive a 41-35 rebound advantage, the third straight game the Trojans have outrebounded their opponent.
Daye was 5-for-10 from three-point range and 10-for-11 from the free throw line for Wingate. Josh Dominguez added 14 points for the Bulldogs and Griffin finished with 12 points and six assists.
The game marked a reunion for Trojan assistant coach Montel Jones, who spent the previous three years on the Wingate coaching staff.
Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans travel to Charlotte, N.C., to take on former Conference Carolinas member Queens in a non-conference match-up. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.