Feb. 12, 2005
NORFOLK, VA -- The Old Dominion men's basketball team snapped a 10-game losing streak to Virginia Commonwealth University, winning 82-76 Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd. Alex Loughton (Perth, Australia) and Isaiah Hunter (Charlotte, NC) combined for 50 points during the game, each scoring a game-high 25, to lead the Monarchs, as they improve to 23-3 for the season, and 13-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Rams fall to 13-10 overall and 9-5 in the CAA.
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The Monarchs, who never trailed throughout the game, got off to a fast start in the first half, leading 7-3 by the 17:01 mark. ODU extended that lead to 10 points, 17-7, with 11:39 remaining before VCU rolled off four straight points to cut the deficit to six points, 17-11. The Monarchs led 21-16 with just over eight minutes remaining in the half, but slowly pulled away to a 13-point lead, 40-27, with just under a minute left. ODU took a 42-32 lead into halftime.
VCU came out strong in the second half, cutting the Monarch lead to just two points, 49-47, with 15:01 left in the game, and by the 12:59 mark, the game was tied for the first time, 54-54. Isaiah Hunter gave the Monarchs the lead back, 57-54, with a three-pointer, but a lay-up by VCU's Michael Doles cut the lead to just one point, 57-56, with just under 12 minutes remaining. ODU had a 65-60 lead at the 9:06 mark, but lay-ups by Jesse Pellot-Rosa and Michael Doles once again cut the lead to just one point, 65-64, with 7:58 remaining. The Monarchs, off a series of lay-ups, extended their lead to 11 points, 77-66, with 3:02 remaining in the half, and ended up with a 82-76 victory.
For the game, both Alex Loughton and Isaiah Hunter had a game-high 25 points, while Arnaud Dahi (Ivory Coast, Africa) had 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Rams had four players in double-figures, led by Nick George's 19. Jesse Pellot-Rosa and Michael Doles both had 15 and B.A. Walker added 13. As a team, the Monarchs out-shot the Rams 57.1% (32-of-56) to 53.6% (30-of-56) and won the battle of the boards 33-27.
The Monarchs return to action Wednesday night, when they travel to Fairfax, Virginia to face the George Mason Patriots.