ETTRICK, VA. – The University of Mount Olive men's basketball team fell to the Trojans of Virginia State University 72-65 on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference road action in Ettrick, Va. UMO was led by Jamaal Matin with 21 points in the loss.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Virginia State 72, Mount Olive 65
Records: Mount Olive (4-6), Virginia State (8-3)
Location: VSU Multipurpose Center | Ettrick, Va.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST HALF
- Virginia State got on the scoreboard first with two quick three-pointers that saw the home team take a 6-0 lead as the clock ticked under 18 minutes.
- Jamaal Matin connected on a long two-point jumper from the top of the key putting UMO on the scoreboard. Don Pigford followed with a basket 40-seconds later (16:52) to pull UMO within two-points, 6-4.
- VSU went on a 10-2 run taking a 16-6 lead with the clock ticked under the 14-minute mark.
- Mount Olive countered with a 9-0 run of their own to pull within a point, 16-15 after Matin knocked down back-to-back three-pointers.
- VSU took a three-point lead following a jumper, but a 7-2 run by the Trojans capped off by a Pigford dunk put Mount Olive 22-18 at the 9:50 mark.
- A Darius Spragley three-pointer put UMO ahead 25-21 around the seven-minute mark, but VSU closed out the half on a 10-0 run taking a 31-25 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF
- Virginia State took a 17-point lead following a steal by the Trojans who led 45-28 forcing Mount Olive to call a timeout to regroup. VSU opened the second half with a 14-3 scoring run heading into the timeout.
- Matin buried a three-point bucket to close the VSU lead to 14 points, 45-31, at the 14:30 mark.
- Cameron Robinson hit another three off the assist from Michael Brown closing the gap to 11 with the clock at 14 minutes even.
- The Virginia State lead opened back up to 16 points, 50-34 following a long three by Wiggins.
- Mount Olive cut at the VSU lead with a three from Spragley and a lay-up by Brown that put the score at 50-39 at 11:53.
- VSU grew their lead back up to 18 points following an 8-0 run by the Trojans.
- Jonathan Mebane scored eight quick points on a jumper and two three-pointers to cut the lead to 60-47. Brown cut it even further making a pair of free throws that put the score at 60-49 with 7:18 remaining.
- UMO closed the gap to eight points, 64-56, following a 7-4 run by the Trojans.
- A Matin three-pointer, his fifth of the game, cut the VSU lead to seven points, 68-61, with 1:22 remaining in regulation.
- VSU held an eight-point lead 70-62, following a pair of free throws, but Matin came in clutch with another three that cut the lead to five points with 19 seconds.
- Virginia State put in a pair of free throws to go up 72-65 as they narrowly edged out the Trojans of Mount Olive.
KEY STATS
- Jamaal Matin led Mount Olive with 21 points on the evening and shot 6-of-11 from three-point range.
- Michael Brown added 14 points and Darius Spragley and Jonathan Mebane joined the double-digit club with 12 and 11 points respectively.
- VSU outrebounded UMO 40-28 and scored 21 points from the free throw line shooting 21-30.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive is back in action on Friday, December 28, as they travel west to take on Wingate University. The Trojans and Bulldogs square off at 7 p.m. in Wingate, N.C. The two teams will turn around and play each other again on Sunday, December 30, at Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.