(Aiken, SC)- Shaw's defense forced Mount Olive into a perimeter game early, then held off the Trojans for a 67-54 win at the Conoco Phillips and Quality Energy USC Aiken Pre-Holiday Classic.

Combined with last night's 62-48 win over #4 USC Aiken, Shaw (6-1) will be the only team to emerge from the Classic without a loss. Mount Olive (6-3) beat Virginia Union yesterday in overtime.

The Bear defense came out hungry early, forcing the Trojans into a perimeter game, where they struggled. Shaw forced Mount Olive to take 12 three-pointers in the first half, with the Trojans converting only three. Mount Olive failed to score a point in the paint during the first half, while Shaw managed 14.

While the Trojans' struggled with their shooting early, the Bears came out strong, shooting 47% in the first and hitting half of their shots in the second. Mount Olive found some shooting rhythm in the second, hitting 46.7% after hitting only one-fourth of their shots in the first.

The game reflected those stats. After the Trojans managed the first basket of the game, Shaw went on a 13-2 scoring run based on balanced scoring from four different Bears.

The Trojans then used three three-pointers to buy their way back into the game, eventually tying the score at 18 with 5:33 left in the first, but Derek Staton's free throws with 5:33 left were the last points Mount Olive would score in the first. Shaw took advantage of that drought, building up a 12-point lead by the half.

The Bears extended their lead to as many as 19 with Sheridan Price twice hitting jumpers that gave Shaw that margin – the second time with 13:36 left in the game.

Over the next ten minutes, the Trojans slowly chipped away at the Shaw lead until, with 2:37 left in the game, Staton hit a three that cut Shaw's lead to six, 56-50. The Trojans then turned to fouling the Bears. Tony Smith, who missed three out of four coming to the wire last night, hit six of six in the closing minutes of this game, helping Shaw re-extend their lead. Free throws and a fastbreak layup from Raheem Smith gave the Bears the 67-54 final.

With 28 seconds left in the game, Jamaar Hosier hit two free throws to give him 10 points. Combined with his game-leading 13 rebounds, Hosier had his first double-double as a Bear. Tony and Raheem Smith led the Bears with 15 points apiece, while Price had 14.

Staton and Brandon Allen had 15 apiece for the Trojans. Dory Hines was Mount Olive's leading rebounder with ten.

The Shaw men now take a holiday break. They return to action on Thursday, January 6 to open their CIAA season as they host Saint Paul's at 8:00 p.m.