MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Barton men's basketball team (4-7, 2-5) fell to rival Mount Olive (9-4, 8-1), 85-71, Tuesday evening in a Conference Carolinas game at Kornegay Arena.
The Trojans, winners of four straight contests, were led by Alan Treakle (Alexandria, Va.) with a team-high 24 points and Michael Brown (Winchester, Va.) added 20 points and eight rebounds as the Mount Olive rallied from a 56-49 deficit with just over 12 minutes left in the contest to take the win.
Barton was led by sophomore guard
Malik Bryant (Fort Mill, S.C.) with a game-high 27 points while sophomore guard
Donaven Hairston (Atlanta, Ga.) chipped in with 17 points but the visitors suffered their third straight setback.
Mount Olive shot nearly 60 percent from the field (33-of-56) and hit seven treys in the victory. Brown hit a pair of free throws at the 7:45 mark of the second half to give the Trojans a 62-61 lead, an advantage they would never relinquish. The Trojans also remained a half-game behind UNCP in the league standings. The Bulldogs hit just two-of-10 from behind the three-point line in the setback.
Barton returns to the court on Thursday to take on No. 19 UNC Pembroke in Pembroke, N.C., in a Conference Carolinas game beginning at 7:00 p.m., while Mount Olive travels to Murfreesboro, N.C., to face Chowan Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m., as well.
