MIAMI, Fla. – In a key Conference USA match-up, it was the Old Dominion men’s basketball team (12-10, 5-4 C-USA) who outlasted Florida International (11-11, 5-4 C-USA) by a 64-60 score on Saturday at FIU Arena. Trey Freeman scored a game-high 25 points to compliment nine rebounds. Freeman has now scored 25 or more points in six consecutive contests.
Aaron Bacote poured in 15 points, while Brandan Stith finished with 13 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds. ODU’s Denzell Taylor hauled down a game-high 11 rebounds (seven offensive).
Old Dominion held advantages in rebounds (43-29), second chance points (22-10) and bench points (20-7), while holding FIU to 1-11 (9.1%) shooting from three-point range. The Monarchs led for 36:37 of the possible 40 minutes.
Two made FIU free-throws pulled the Panthers within two, 60-58, but a Brandan Stith offensive rebound on the next possession led to two made Freeman free-throws, giving Old Dominion a 62-58 lead with 34 seconds to play.
Florida International made two free-throws at the 4.9 mark to cut its deficit to 62-60, but it was Aaron Bacote who clinched the game with two made free-throws to lift the Monarchs to a 64-60 victory on Saturday night.
With 11:48 to play in the second half, the Panthers claimed a 39-37 advantage, before Old Dominion answered with a 7-0 run over a 1:13 span to take a 44-39 lead at the 9:50 mark, forcing a FIU timeout.
An Aaron Bacote made three-pointer gave Old Dominion a 53-49 advantage with 5:12 left in the second half. With 1:45 left, FIU pulled within two points, 58-56, before Freeman drilled a fade-away mid-range jumper to give ODU a 60-56 advantage with 1:18 to play.
With 8:19 to play in the opening half, Freeman scored his 11th point, as the Monarchs held onto an 18-11 lead, before ODU extended its lead to 25-15 at the 4:15 mark, forcing a Panthers’ timeout.
Florida International closed the first half on a 9-1 run to cut its deficit to 26-24 heading into locker rooms at halftime. Freeman led all scorers at the half with 14 points, while Denzell Taylor hauled down a half-high seven rebounds in which five came on the offensive end.
In the first half, Old Dominion’s bench outscored Florida International’s, 10-3. The Monarchs out-rebounded the Panthers 23-14 in the opening 20 minutes. ODU led for 19:10 of the possible 20 minutes.
For the game, Florida International was paced by Adrian Diaz’s 21 points. Daviyon Draper’s chipped in 19 points and eight rebounds.
NEXT UP FOR THE MONARCHS
Old Dominion will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 6 at Charlotte. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.
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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Fans can follow C-USA online on Twitter (@Conference_USA or @CUSAMBK), with the hashtag #CUSAMBK or #BeTheNext, on Facebook (facebook.com/ConferenceUSA) and Instagram (ConferenceUSA).