NORFOLK, Va. – In the second meeting between the two schools in five days, the Old Dominion men’s basketball team (3-3) downed Northern Iowa (3-3) by a 72-65 score on Friday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Friday night marked the first repeat non-conference game for ODU since the 1996-97 season, when the Monarchs played Mississippi State in back-to-back games.
A B.J. Stith three-pointer capped off a 24-11 run to start the second half, extending the Monarchs lead to 13, 57-44, with 9:07 to play. The Panthers utilized a 5-0 run to pull within three, 61-58, with 3:09 remaining in regulation; however, Northern Iowa would not get closer, as Stith sealed the deal at the free-throw line, going 6-6 in the closing minutes.
Stith led the Monarchs with 25 points (8-13 FG), to go along with four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Ahmad Caver followed with 19 points (4-4 FT), six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Dajour Dickens finished with a career-high nine points, to compliment four rebounds, three blocks and one assist.
Old Dominion led for 27:52 of the possible 40 minutes. For the game, ODU held advantages for points in the paint (29-20), assists (15-10) and blocks (5-1). The Monarchs shot 50.0% (13-26 from the floor in the second half.
In the first half, Caver picked up his 145th career steal, which ranks 15th in school history. Early in the contest (15:42), UNI claimed a 14-7 lead, before Old Dominion used a 21-4 run to take a 24-18 advantage at the 7:48 mark of the opening half. ODU claimed a one-point lead into the locker room at the half, behind a half-high 12 points from Stith.
Friday night marked ODU’s Prostate Cancer Awareness game, as $2 of every single game ticket sold was donated to the American Cancer Society.
Old Dominion will return to the hardwood on Wednesday, Nov. 28, when the Monarchs host VCU for a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The game will air on MASN and be streamed on ESPN3.