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NORFOLK, VA--- Led with five players in double figures, the ODU Monarchs defeated VMI, 81-73, ending a three-game losing streak in front of 7,886 at the Ted ConstantConvocation Center.
Five Monarchs scored in double figures led by Kent Bazemore with 18, Trian Iliadiswith 15, Donte Hill and Dimitri Batten with 11 each and 10 points and 12 rebounds for Chris Cooper. It was Coopers seventh double-double of the season.
VMI led, 63-62 with 6:34 left in the game on a three-point play by the games leading scorer Keith Gabriel. Gabriel netted 34 points which was one point shy of the Constant Center's opponent mark set last year by Cleveland State's Norris Cole.
Kent Bazemore came right back and put ODU up for good, with a layup to make it 64-63at the 6:23 mark. Bazemore more then hit one of two free throws to make it 65-63 andafter a steal and basket by Trian Iliadis ODU was up 67-63 with 5:03 remaining.
Gabriel's dunk cut ODU's lead to 67-65, but Bazemore scored on a layup to make it 69-65with 4:26 left. VMI kept coming back thanks to a trey by Nick Gore to make it 69-68with 3:56 left.
ODU began to get some breathing room as Chris Cooper hit four free throws and TrianIliadis scored on a layup to put the Monarchs up 75-68. After a Marquel De Lanceyfree throw, ODU was up 76-68 with 43 seconds left but Gabriel continued his torridscoring with another trey to cut it to 76-71.
Trian Iliadis then put the game out of reach with five of six free throws to putODU backup 10 at 81-71 with 15 seconds left.
The Monarchs dominated the boards, 51-27, the most since the school record 64 against Maryland-Eastern Shore last year. Besides Cooper's 12, Donte Hill hauleddown a career high nine and Kent Bazemore added eight.
The Monarchs hit 29-46 free throws which are also both Ted Constant Center records.Hill and Cooper both hit six and Bazemore hit five from the charity stripe.
ODU shot .418 (23-55) from the floor, while VMI was at .444 (24-54). The 73 pointswas the third lowest point total for VMI this year. The nation's leading scoring team at 88.7 was held to 65 by Air Force, 70 by Pittsburgh and 74 by Ohio State.
In the second half, Trian Iliadis scored 15 and Kent Bazemore 12 points, while ChrisCooper hauled down nine of his 12 boards.
The Monarchs return to action on Dec. 30th when they host eighth ranked Missouriin at 7 p.m. contest which will be televised by ESPNU.