Nov. 1, 2012
NORFOLK, VA-- ODU junior Donte Hill (Virginia Beach, VA.), freshman Aaron Bacote (Hampton, VA.) and sophomore Dimitri Batten (Newport News, VA.) combined for 59 points to lead the Monarchs to a 102-65 exhibition opening win over Division II Mount Olive College (NC) Thursday evening at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Hill, one of the Monarch co-captains led the way with a game high 22 points along with five assists,six rebounds on 9-for-11 shooting from the floor. He also hit four of five shots from beyond the arc.
Bacote was 7-for-8 from the floor for 20 points. He also had five assists and two steals, followed by Batten with 17 points and a game high nine rebounds.
Freshman Keenan Palmore (Stone Mountain, GA.) added seven points with eight rebounds and a game high eight assists, while fellow freshman Deion Clark scored nine and senior forward and co-captain Nick Wright (Suffolk, VA.) had nine points and seven rebounds.
ODU shot a blistering .661 (39-59) from the floor and outrebounded Mount Olive, 51-32 on the boards. Ten of the 11 Monarchs who played scored.
Mount Olive, who shot .310 (22-71) from the field was led in scoring by Jordan McCain with 18 points, Followed by Mahamed ibrahim with 12 points.
ODU returns to action on Monday against Virginia State from the CIAA in their final exhibition contest before opening the season against Holy Cross in the Liberty Tax Classic at ODU, Nov. 9-11.