MOUNT OLIVE, N.C.- The young Royals team showed what they were made of tonight climbing out of a 20 point deficit to take the lead with 1:42 left on the game clock in Mount Olive, N.C. Queens erased the lead, which Mount Olive held from the 16:39 mark in the first half, with a basket from Jonaldaren Baldwin (Burlington, N.C., Graham), but Craig Hayes hit both ends of a one-and-one with 57 seconds left to put the Trojans back on top to stay for a 73-70 win over Queens in Conference Carolinas men's basketball Monday afternoon at Kornegay Arena.
Kendrick Easley led all scorers with 24 points and added a pair of insurance free throws to seal the win. Monday's contest was a rematch of the championship game of last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament.
The win is Mount Olive's sixth in its last seven games and moves the Trojans above the .500 mark overall for the first time this season. The win also assures the Trojans of remaining within one game of conference leader Barton heading into Thursday's meeting between the top two teams in the conference standings.
Mount Olive (8-7 overall, 7-1 Conference Carolinas) trailed Queens by as many as four points early in the game, but Easley capped a 9-2 run with a three-pointer and a dunk off his own steal to give the Trojans a 19-13 lead with 11:45 left in the first half. Queens (2-12, 1-6) pulled within three, but would then go nearly seven minutes without a field goal.
Kason Cheeks muscled a shot inside off the glass and Easley connected on another three-pointer during a run of nine unanswered points to give Mount Olive its first double-digit lead at 28-16 with 7:57 remaining. After a Queens free throw, steals by Derek Staton, Mike Holloman, Justin Melton and Tanner Carnes highlighted another streak of nine straight points.
Holloman's short jumper completed an 18-1 run and gave Mount Olive its biggest lead of the game at 37-17 with 5:09 left before halftime.
Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ) ended Queens' field goal drought, drawing a foul on a putback and finishing the three-point play. Devon Seaford (Charlotte, N.C., Hope Christian Academy) and Sean Eads (Greenville, S.C., Eastside) hit three-pointers as the Royals cut Mount Olive's 20-point bulge in half, closing within 41-31 with 1:09 remaining.
After Queens pulled within nine, Easley drew a foul and hit both free throws with six seconds remaining to build the lead back up to double digits. But Joshua Twitty's (Rutherfordton, N.C., Polk County) floater in the lane beat the buzzer and Queens closed the gap to 44-35 at the break.
Mount Olive built the lead up to as many as 13 points early in the second half, but Patrick Fox's (Eden, N.C. , Morehead) three-point play with 13:49 remaining brought Queens within 53-47. Hayes answered for Mount Olive with a baseline jumper and a three-pointer and Holloman's steal and windmill slam dunk extended the Trojans' advantage to 62-49 with 9:50 left to play.
Eads hit another three-pointer for Queens and Bailey's dunk capped a 7-0 run to pull the Royals within 62-56. Melton answered with a three for Mount Olive with 7:28 remaining, but that would be the Trojans' last field goal of the game.
Bailey put home another dunk and Eads' layup with 4:37 left brought Queens within 67-66. Carnes hit both ends of a one-and-one for Mount Olive with 2:54 left, but Charles Burgess's (Spartanburg, S.C., Boiling Springs)' answered with a putback on Queens' next possession. The Trojans failed to score on their end and Baldwin's jumper completed the comeback as the Royals went on top 70-69 with 1:43 remaining.
Mount Olive missed a three-pointer on its next possession, but Hayes blocked a shot and drew a foul after pulling down the rebound. Hayes' first free throw tied the game and his second gave the Trojans a 71-70 lead.
Hayes again came up big on the defensive end, making a steal with 36 seconds remaining. Easley hit both ends of a one-and-one to make it a three-point game.
Queens missed a pair of three-point attempts in the final seconds as Mount Olive held on for the win.
Holloman finished with 13 points and six assists for Mount Olive, while Melton added 12 points, four assists and four steals. Hayes, who missed most of the first half with foul trouble, scored all of his nine points in the second half. Hayes pulled down a team-high five rebounds, but the Trojans were outrebounded 42-28.
Bailey notched a double-double for Queens with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Eads added 12 points. Burgess flirted with a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Burgess and Bailey combined for five blocked shots.
Mount Olive returns to action Thursday as the Trojans play host to Barton in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. at Kornegay Arena. Barton is the only remaining unbeaten team in conference play. Queens travels to Laurinburg, N.C., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. to take on St. Andrews in Conference Carolinas action.
