Jan. 4, 2012
HARRISONBURG - Chris Cooper made one of the biggest plays of the game in the closing minute of an overtime win here on Monday afternoon at James Madison.
But it was not a slam dunk, or even a field goal or free throw for the senior forward from ODU. In typical workmanlike style, the Forest Park graduate came up with an offensive rebound following a miss by standout Kent Bazemore and then passed the ball back outside to a teammate.
Some 12 seconds later ODU's Nick Wright was fouled and he made two free throws to give the Monarchs a 64-59 lead with 48 seconds left in overtime. ODU, which trailed by 12 points midway through the second half, held on for a 67-61 victory in a state matchup between teams in the Colonial Athletic Association.
"He has a nose for the ball," ODU head coach Blaine Taylor said of Cooper, who came off the bench to score 12 points with a career-high 16 rebounds. "He has the ability to go get it. He can play at a very high level."