CANCUN, MEXICO—ODU sophomore Aaron Bacote scored 15 points and red-shirt freshman Ambrose Mosley added a career high 12 points, but the Monarchs (4-3) lost to the Billikens of Saint Louis (6-1), 62-52 in the third place game of the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya Resort. Bacote was named to the All-Tournament team.
The Monarchs trailed by only two at halftime, 29-27 with the help of balanced scoring and .500 shooting (10-20). Saint Louis jumped out to a 12-4 lead with 15:33 left in the half after a three-pointer by Rob Loe, but the Monarchs gradually rallied back and outscored the Billikens, 12-2 to take the lead at 16-14 with 8:26 left in the half after two free throws from Bacote.
The first half saw five ties and nine lead changes. Ambrose Mosley's three-pointer put ODU up, 24-23, but Dwayne Evans came back for a bucket to put the Billikens up, 25-24, and held on for a 29-27 halftime lead.
In the second half, sophomore Keenan Palmore’s jumper to start the half tied the game at 29-29. Dwayne Evans then hit a free throw to put Saint Louis up for good, at 30-29. SLU would lead by as many as 13, 51-38 with 7:33 left, but two Mosley three-pointers cut the lead to seven at 51-44 with 6:32 to go, but the Monarchs could get no closer.
Besides Bacote’s 15 and Mosely’s 12, Richard Ross added nine points and a game high nine rebounds. ODU again outrebounded a much taller opponent, 37-34. Freshman forward Denzell Taylor and Mosley both hauled down six boards each. Taylor and Dimitri Batten both came up with three steals each. Mosley drained 4-for-7 three-pointer shots.
ODU shot .340 (18-53) from the floor .786 (11-14) from the free throw line, while Saint Louis shot .426 (23-54) from the field.
The Billikens from the Atlantic-10 were led by Dwayne Evans with 21 points, followed by Rob Loe with ten.
ODU returns home to host North Carolina Central Tuesday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at 7 p.m.
All-Tournament Team and MVP
STL - Dwayne Evans
ODU - Aaron Bacote
WVU - Juwan Staten
WVU - Eron Harris
WISC - Traevon Jackson
WISC (MVP) - Sam Dekker