MOUNT OLIVE, NC — In a game that featured 15 lead changes and 20 ties, the University of Mount Olive men’s basketball team came up just short in an 85–84 loss to in-state rival Barton College on Tuesday night at Kornegay Arena.
Neither team led by more than six points throughout the contest. Barton carried a narrow 47–44 lead into halftime, but the Trojans answered with high energy in the second half to keep the game within a single possession down the stretch.
Jaevian Alston paced Mount Olive with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Redford Dunton and Matt Kirby added key contributions as the Trojans controlled much of the interior play, holding a 44–38 advantage in points in the paint and a decisive 26–9 edge in second-chance points.
With less than three minutes remaining, Alston converted an and-one stepback jumper in the lane to give Mount Olive a three-point lead. Barton responded with a three-pointer to tie the game before Kirby drove left and finished off the glass to regain the advantage for the Trojans.
The Bulldogs answered again with a three-pointer to take a one-point lead with 45 seconds left. Mount Olive had a final opportunity to secure the win, but Kirby’s pull-up jumper from the top of the key fell short, sealing the narrow victory for Barton.
The Trojans return to action Saturday with a 4 p.m. road matchup against Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.
