NORFOLK, VA— ODU junior guard Trey Freeman led a balanced attack, scoring eight points in the final six minutes as the Monarchs outscored Richmond 14-8 for a 63-57 victory Tuesday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Four Monarchs scored in double figures led by Freeman with 13. Senior Richard Ross and sophomore Jordan Baker added 12 each and sophomore forward Denzell Taylor scored 10.
ODU started the game off hitting nine of their first 10 shots and took an eight-point 32-24 halftime lead.
After Richard Ross opened the second half with a layup, the Monarchs led 34-24. Richmond battled back and tied the contest at 49-49 with 6:34 left on a three-pointer by ShawnDre’ Jones.
Freeman then hit two free throws to give ODU a 51-49, but Terry Allen knocked down a three-pointer to put the Spiders up, 52-51. That was the last time UR would have the lead. Richard Ross scored on a jumper for a 53-52 lead with 3:35 left, then Freeman came back with a layup to give ODU a 55-52 lead with 2:34 left. After a Spider free throw, Freeman hit two more three throws for a 57-53 lead and at the 1:10 mark he hit Jordan Baker on the left side for a three-pointer and a seven-point lead at 60-53. Freeman would hit two more free throws along with one from Aaron Bacote to finish out the Monarch scoring.
ODU finished the game shooting .426 (23-54) from the field, while UR shot .447 (21-47). The Monarchs outrebounded the Spiders, 35-26 as sophomore guards Jordan Baker and Ambrose Mosley led with six each.
Freeman, who hit eight-for-eight free throws in the opener against UNC Wilmington was a perfect seven-for-seven tonight. Jordan Baker knocked down four of five shots from three-point range.
TJ Cline, son of ODU women's basketball Hall of Famer nancy Lieberman led the Spiders with 15 points on seven-for-eight shooting from the floor.
The Monarchs return to action Friday at 6:30 in the Paradise Jam against LSU. Illinois State and Weber State are also on that side of the bracket. Clemson, Gardner-Webb, Nevada and Seton Hall round out the field. The LSU contest will be carried live on CBS Sports Network. This will be ODU’s third trip to the paradise Jam as the Monarchs finished second in 2005 and won the 2010 crown with a victory over Xavier.