MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Elton Coffield (Williamston, N.C./Williamston HS) scored a game-high 27 points to lead regionally second-ranked Mount Olive to a 68-43 victory over Coker in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men’s basketball Thursday at College Hall. The win is the Trojans’ ninth in their last 10 games and 16th in their last 18 contests.

Mount Olive (18-3 overall, 12-2 CVAC) held Coker to one field goal over a span of more than nine minutes Coffield scored 12 points during a 19-3 run as his steal and one-handed dunk gave the Trojans a 24-8 lead with 8:24 remaining in the half. Coker (6-14, 4-9) cut the lead to 10 as Johnny Jackson scored eight straight points for the Cobras in the final five minutes. Coffield’s third three-pointer of the half and Sharome Holloway’s ( Phoenix , Ariz./South Mountain CC) basket with nine seconds left in the half gave the Trojans a 14-point lead, but Michael Pierce’s 15-footer rimmed in at the buzzer to pull Coker within 35-23 at the half.

Coker scored the first two buckets of the second half to close the gap to eight points, but Melvin Creddle (Newark, N.J./Cisco Junior College) and Coffield hit two free throws apiece to spark an 8-0 run and Coker never got any closer than 12 points the rest of the way. Coffield scored his final points of the game on a three-point play with 3:18 remaining to give the Trojans a 66-41 lead, matching the final margin for the Trojans’ biggest lead.

Coffield went 8-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. He was 7-for-7 from the free throw line and added four rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Creddle finished with 11 points for the Trojans, while Holloway added 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Jason Fulwood led Coker with 13 points, while Jackson finished with 10 points for the Cobras. Coker, which hit 20-of-36 three-pointers in Monday’s overtime win against Erskine, was 6-for-24 from three-point range Thursday against the Trojans.

The win comes one day after Mount Olive jumped three places to No. 2 in this week’s NCAA Division II East Region Poll. The Trojans remain a game behind regionally top-ranked and conference leader Pfeiffer in the CVAC standings. Pfeiffer defeated Barton 92-77 Thursday.

Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans travel to Banner Elk, N.C., to face Lees-McRae in a CVAC match-up. Tip-off is 4 p.m. Coker plays host to Belmont Abbey Saturday at 4 p.m. in CVAC action.