ST. THOMAS, US VI- ODU junior guard Trey Freeman (Virginia Beach, VA.) scored 22 and senior forward Richard Ross (Wichita Falls, TX.) added 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Monarchs (4-1) to a 58-46 victory over Gardner- Webb (2-3) Monday night in the third place game of the Paradise Jam Tournament played at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Arena.
Freeman was named to the All-Tournament team.
Gardner-Webb jumped out to an eight-point lead, 12-4 with 12:40 left in the first half, but the Monarchs rallied to tie the game at 16-16 with 7:22 left on a three-pointer by red-shirt sophomore guard Ambrose Mosley (Jacksonville, FL.). The Bulldogs would take a 26-25 lead with 2:08 left in the half after a three-pointer by Isaiah Ivey and that would be their last lead of the night.
Richard Ross scored on a layup with 1:49 left in the half and junior Keenan Palmore (Stone Mountain, GA.) added a free throw and ODU went into the locker room with a 28-26 lead.
In the second half, ODU reeled off a 12-2 run for a 40-29 lead with 13:27 left on a jumper by Freeman.
Freeman scored six in that stretch along with a steal. Gardner-Webb would cut the ODU lead to four three different times, the last with 4:26 left, 48-44 on a three-pointer by Adonis Burbage, but would get no closer as ODU pulled away the final minutes.
ODU shot .389 (21-54) from the field, but held Gardner-Webb to .291 (16-55). The Monarchs only turned the ball over seven times, while GWU had 13 turnovers. Gardner-Webb was led by Jerome Hill with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
ODU won its first Paradise Jam game on Friday against Louisiana State before falling Sunday to Illinois State in a semifinal.
The Monarchs return home to play host to 14th-ranked VCU Saturday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Game time is 2 p.m.
EZYBONDS GLOBAL PAYMENTS
US VIRGIN ISLANDS PARADISE JAM
PRESENTED BY BASKETBALL TRAVELERS
2014 ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
1. DAMARCUS HARRISON, CLEMSON
2. JORDAN MICKEY, LSU
3. TREY FREEMAN, OLD DOMINION
4. DeVAUGHN AKOON-PURCELL JR., ILLINOIS STATE
5. DESI RODRIGUEZ, SETON HALL
MVP:
STERLING GIBBS, SETON HALL