March 7, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. - Junior forward Gerald Lee scored a career-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds to lift fourth-seeded Old Dominion (21-9) to a 52-51 win over fifth-seeded Hofstra (21-11) in the second game of the quarterfinals of the CAA Men's Basketball Championship.
Old Dominion, which has won six games in a row and 10 of its last 11, will next face top seed VCU in the semifinals Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
The game came down to the final possession as Hofstra's Charles Jenkins, who scored the Pride's final nine points of the game and scored 27 points overall, had the ball with 3.8 seconds left, but his running jumper in the lane was blocked byJonathan Adams.
Hofstra was in position to have a chance at victory despite falling behind by 10 in the second half after a 13-2 run put the Monarchs up 42-32. Lee led the ODU run by scoring six points before Hofstra could make a second-half field goal.
Jenkins got the Pride back into the game. Down six, 44-38, he threaded a pass inside to Dane Johnson, who made an easy layup to get Hofstra within four points. After an ODU turnover, Jenkins again made an excellent pass inside to an open Greg Washington, who put down a dunk to close within two, 44-42, with 4:45 to play.
A Keyon Carter layup for the Monarchs put them back up by four, but Jenkins quickly responded with a long two-point jumper. After neither team scored on its next two possessions, Jenkins then squared up and drained a three to give Hofstra its first lead since halftime, 47-46, with 2:06 to play.
However, the Monarchs went back to Lee, who was 13-for-19 from the field during the game. The 6'10 forward took a bounce pass inside from Ben Finney and connected on a layup to put Old Dominion back on top, 48-47. After a Jenkins miss, the Monarchs came back down the court looking to score again. A loose ball found its way to Darius James' hands, and he took a three-point shot that missed, but Lee was there for his 10th rebound of the game. He tipped the ball back in to give the Monarchs a three-point lead, 50-47, with 39 seconds to play. With the board, it gave Lee his fourth double-double of the season.
The two teams traded free throws and then Jenkins went coast-to-coast for a layup to close within one, 52-51, with 10.4 seconds left. On the inbounds, Frank Hassell took the pass, but slipped and lost control of the ball. Hofstra's Greg Johnson ended up with the ball and called timeout with 3.8 seconds left, setting the scene for Jenkins' final shot and miss.
ODU head coach Blaine Taylor is one win shy of 300 for his collegiate career.
The first half was just as competitive as the second with both teams going on extended runs. ODU went up early 9-2, Hofstra responded with a 20-2 run before the Monarchs came back and close the half on a 17-7 streak. Lee scored 18 of his 30 in the first half.