NORFOLK, Va. - Senior Aaron Bacote finished one off his career-high with 30 points as Old Dominion held off Rhode Island 71-65 Tuesday night to win its 30th straight game at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Trey Freeman netted 22 points, while Denzell Taylor grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out three assists. Old Dominion's bench outscored Rhode Island's 36-10 for the ballgame. ODU led for a total of 33:05 of the possible 40 minutes.
ODU led by as many as 15 early in the second half but with five minutes to go URI Jared Terrell hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to three at 56-53. Trey Freeman then took over, scoring six-straight points and pushing the lead back to nine.
Rhode Island made one final run as a three-pointer by Four McGlynn made it a four point game but Bacote iced the game with four free throws.
The Monarchs used a 16-2 run over a 6:45 span to jump out to a 20-2 advantage with 8:46 to play in the opening half. Old Dominion extended its lead to 14 (30-16) by the under-four media timeout with 3:57 left in the first half, before claiming a 34-24 advantage heading into the locker rooms at halftime.
At the half, Trey Freeman led all scorers with 12 points on 6-10 shooting from the floor. Denzell Taylor grabbed a half-high six rebounds (three offensive). Kuran Iverson paced the Rams with eight points. The Monarchs connected on 50% (13-26) from the floor in the first 20 minutes of action. Old Dominion led for 13:00 of the 20:00 first half minutes. The first half experienced three ties and two lead changes. ODU’s bench outscored URI’s 13-4 in the first half.
After leading by 10 at halftime, the Monarchs extended their lead to 50-36 with 10:03 remaining in regulation. The Rams used an 8-0 run over a 2:24 span to pull within three (56-53) with 5:06 to play.
Old Dominion then used a 6-0 run to extend its advantage to 62-53 with 2:22 left in the second half. The Rams answered with four straight points to pull the score to 62-57 with 1:54 left.
A made Rhode Island three-pointer with 46.9 seconds left, pulled the Rams within four (66-62), but the Monarchs proved to be too much pulling out a 71-65 victory on Tuesday night in Norfolk.
Longest Active NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Home Winning Streak
1. Arizona (46)
2. Louisiana Tech (37)
3. Wichita State (36)
4. Kansas (31)
5. Old Dominion (30)
6. North Dakota State (29)
7. Kentucky (27)
7. Villanova (27)
9. Iona (23)
10. South Dakota State (21)
NEXT UP FOR THE MONARCHS
Old Dominion will return to action at home on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m. against crosstown rival Norfolk State.
DON’T MISS THE ACTION!
Monarch basketball season tickets are on sale now for the 2015-16 season at YNottix.com or by calling the box office 757-683-4444.
TICKETS (Single Game)
Adult Lower Bowl - $17
Adult Club - $31
Military/Seniors/Youth/
Faculty Staff - $15
Group pricing available by calling Todd McKeating at 757-683-7087
WHAT A DEAL! - VOUCHER BOOKS
Get 10 tickets to use at any home ODU basketball games during the 2015-16 regular season. Use them all at one game to bring family and friends, or spread them out over the season. The choice is yours! The price is $120 for a men’s basketball voucher book. That’s a $50 savings over purchasing at the ticket window. Purchase now at www.ynottix.com.
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