NORFOLK, Va. - The first place Old Dominion men’s basketball team (22-6, 12-3 C-USA) took down second place Western Kentucky (16-12, 9-6 C-USA) by 67-63 score on Saturday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in front of 7,324 fans. ODU has now won six straight, 11 of its last 12 and 20 of its last 23 contests. With the win, the Monarchs remain in sole possession of first place in the Conference USA standings.
Xavier Green (7-11 FG, 6-9 3PT, 2-2 FT) poured in a game and career high 22 points, to go along with three assists and two steals.
After trailing 35-34, ODU used an 11-2 run to claim a 43-37 advantage at the 12:31 mark, which was the largest lead of the contest. With 4:37 left, the Hilltoppers tied the ballgame at 57 all. Green later scored five straight points down the stretch, giving the Monarchs a 65-63 lead with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, before Old Dominion got two more defensive stops and sealed the game at the free-throw line, claiming a four-point victory on Saturday afternoon in Norfolk.
B.J. Stith finished with 18 points, five rebounds and two steals. Ahmad Caver followed with 13 points, five assists, three rebounds and two blocks.
Old Dominion shot 54.5% (6-11) from three-point range in second half. For the game, ODU held WKU to 20.0% (2-10) from deep.
Saturday’s game experienced 13 lead changes and 12 ties. The Monarchs held a lead for 28:22 of the 40 minutes, the Hilltoppers led for 5:45 and the game was tied for 5:53.
ODU claimed a five-point lead at halftime, 26-21, after holding WKU to 33.3% (9-27) shooting from the floor and 14.3% (1-7) shooting from deep. Green went for a half-high eight points, while Stith followed with seven.
Old Dominion will return to the hardwood on Thursday, Feb. 28, when the Monarchs travel to San Antonio for an 8:00 p.m. ET tip at UTSA. Thursday night’s game will be a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.