NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion used a dominant first half to earn a wire-to-wire 74-53 victory over UTEP on Thursday evening at the Ted Constant Center, snapping the Miners' six-game winning streak.
The win bumps Old Dominion (16-12, 9-6 C-USA) past UTEP (17-12, 9-7 C-USA) in the Conference USA standings, as the Miners headed into the game one spot ahead of the Monarchs.
Brandan Stith and Zoran Talley each finished with double-doubles for the Monarchs. Stith tallied 16 points and 15 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, while Talley ended with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Trey Freeman also scored in double figures for ODU with 14 points, while Ahmad Caver added nine points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Aaron Bacote also finished with nine points.
Old Dominion opened the game on a 21-4 run, which was sparked by an 11-0 burst through the first four minutes of play. At the first media timeout, ODU led 13-2 with each Monarch starter scoring over that span.
Following the hot start, it was the Monarch defense that stole the show, holding the Miners to just 26.9 percent shooting in the opening half. ODU also outrebounded UTEP, 27-11, in the opening half and grabbed as many offensive rebounds (9) as the Miners had defensive rebounds.
ODU carried a 35-18 lead into halftime, led by Talley's 10 points and seven rebounds. Overall, the Monarchs shot 41.7 percent in the first half and outscored UTEP, 25-10, in the paint. The 18 points were the lowest first-half total for UTEP this season.
In the second half, the Miners were able to cut the lead to four at 55-51 with 5:51 remaining, but the Monarchs ended the game on a 19-2 run to close out the 74-53 victory.
Overall, the Monarchs shot 47.5 percent from the field, while holding UTEP to just 35.1 percent shooting. ODU also held a commanding 51-26 advantage on the boards. The Miners' 53 points tied their season low for the season.
NEXT UP FOR THE MONARCHS
Old Dominion remains at home for a showdown with UTSA on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. at the Ted Constant Center.
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