Feb. 2, 2012
Post-Game Press Conference:
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - Chris Cooper grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds and was one of six double-digit scorers for Old Dominion in an 80-71 win over James Madison on Thursday night in the Constant Center in front of a sellout crowd of 8472.
The Monarchs (15-9, 10-2 Colonial Athletic Association) have won four straight games and eight of their last nine, and are now in a four-way tie for first in theCAA with VCU, Drexel and George Mason. The Dukes have lost three in a row, five of their last six and seven straight to Old Dominion, which also won 67-61 in overtime on Jan. 2.
The Monarchs led wire to wire, opening up a 13-point first-half lead. With Old Dominion ahead 73-63, James Madison (10-14, 3-9) used a 6-0 run to pull within four with 46 seconds left, but could get no closer.
Kent Bazemore led the Monarchs with 19 points, Dmitri Batten had 13, Donte Hill and Trian Iliadis 11 each and Cooper and Nick Wright 10 apiece.
Cooper's 22 rebounds are a new Constant Center single game record, breaking the16 held by Alex Loughton in 2004 against George Mason and Cooper against UMESin 2010. The overall ODU rebound mark is 33 by Ron Drews against RPI in 1966 andthe ODU Division one mark is 23 by All-American and Hall of Famer Mark West againstTexas Wesleyan in 1980 at Scope and equaled by Clifton Jones against UNCW in 2001 in the old ODU fieldhouse.
Coopers 22 rebounds is the second highest total in Division I thus far this season.Cameron moore of UAB hauled down 24 against George Washington. Cooper joins GregMangano of Yale and Brandon Davies of BYU who each hauled down 22 in a game thisyear.Cooper grabbed 16 rebounds against the Dukes back on January 2nd in Harrisonburg.
In scoring 10 points to go along with the 22 rebounds Cooper now has 13 double-doubles on the season. He came into the game ranked eighth nationally in thatcategory, and now tied for first in the CAA with UNCW's Keith Rendleman who also has 13.
ODU dominated the boards, 47-29. Senior Marquel De Lancey led with six assists and joined Kent Bazemore with two steals each. Nick Wright also dished out three steals and teammed with Cooper for two blocked shots each.
The Monarchs dished out 18 assists on the night as all but two players had an assist.
The Monarchs also knocked down 13 three-points which tied the Constant Center recordoriginally set against Charlotte in 2003.
A.J. Davis scored 23 points and Andrey Semenov 22 to lead the Dukes. HumptyHitchens who scored 23 in the first meeting only scored nine tonight along with seven assists.
The Monarchs return to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. when they play George Masonon ESPNU in Fairfax, VA.