MOC Men's Basketball Falls To Belmont Abbey

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 13, 2004 2:00 PM

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BELMONT -- No 75-foot miracle for Mount Olive this time.

Rafael Moreira led five players in double figures as host Belmont Abbey defeated Mount Olive 100-87 in NCAA Division II Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's basketball action Thursday.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Trojans, winners of 14 of their last 16 games.

Mount Olive (17-4, 11-3 CVAC) took an early 9-8 lead and tied the game 19-19 midway through the first half, but Belmont Abbey (15-6, 9-5) broke the tie on a Moreira basket and led the rest of the way.

The Trojans fell behind by as many as 10 points before Sean Barnett hit a pair of baskets to spark a 6-0 run and pull Mount Olive within 38-34 with 1:46 left in the half. Belmont Abbey went on to take a 44-36 lead at halftime. Marcus West had 13 points at intermission.

Victor Young opened the second half with a basket to pull the Trojans within 44-38, but Greg LaVann answered with a three-pointer to spark an 18-6 run, capped by Moreira's 3-pointer to give Belmont Abbey a 62-44 lead with 13:39 remaining.

The lead went up to 20 before the Trojans made a run as Brad McDougald's three-pointer cut the lead to 70-58.

Belmont Abbey built the lead back up to 17, but Mount Olive cut it back to 11 as Young's steal and dunk pulled the Trojans within 82-71 with 3:51 remaining. Antonio Howard connected on a three-pointer for Belmont Abbey and Mount Olive never got any closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Mount Olive placed four players in double figures, led by West with 22 and Young with 18. Barnett and McDougald added 10 points apiece.

Howard finished with 21 points for Belmont Abbey.

Women

For the second time this week, a Mount Olive basketball game was decided at the horn. But this time, it was the Mount Olive women's basketball team and it was on the wrong end of the buzzer-beater.

Yvette Battle's baseline jumper at the buzzer lifted host Belmont Abbey to a 64-62 victory against the Trojans.

Teneal Boone led all scorers with a career-high 25 points. Boone shot 10-for-14 from the field and came within one rebound of her third consecutive double-double, pulling down nine boards.

Mount Olive (8-13, 4-10 CVAC) jumped out to an early 10-point lead as Shenetta Moye's three-pointer capped a 15-5 run to put the Trojans on top 17-7 with 9:46 left in the first half.

Belmont Abbey (13-8, 10-4) cut the lead to seven, but Melanie Cobb's three-point play sparked a 10-2 run and gave the Trojans their biggest lead of the half at 29-14 with 4:59 remaining. However, Mount Olive missed its next nine field goal attempts and Belmont Abbey pulled within 29-20 at halftime.

Mount Olive held Belmont Abbey to 22.6 percent (7-for-31) from the field.

Neither team scored for more than two minutes into the second half before Boone's basket gave Mount Olive a 31-20 lead with 17:32 remaining and ended the Trojans' 7:27 scoring drought.

Belmont Abbey scored the next seven points to pull within four, but Boone answered with a pair of field goals to get the lead back to eight.

Belmont Abbey then went on a 9-2 run as Jeanette Johasson's three-pointer tied the game 37-37.

The game was tied two more times before Jevorah Whitfield's basket with 9:32 remaining gave the Crusaders their first lead of the game at 44-42.

Mount Olive led 60-59 with exactly two minutes left.

Ladora Charles hit a pair of free with 1:40 remaining to extend the lead to 62-59.

Valorie Bennett hit a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to tie the game 62-62.

Mount Olive had a chance for the go-ahead basket, but the Trojans turned the ball over with six seconds left.

Battle hit her shot from the right baseline for the game-winner.

Mount Olive travels to Limestone on Saturday.