NORFOLK, Va. – Malik Curry led the way with 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots, as the Old Dominion men's basketball team (2-1) defeated Loyola (Md.) (1-2) by a 62-53 score on Wednesday night at Chartway Arena. In a game the Greyhounds never led, ODU led for 38:15 of the possible 40 minutes.
After trailing by as many as 19 in the first half (1:34), Loyola cut its deficit down to seven, 53-46, at the 4:21 mark of the second half. A 7-4 run, pushed ODU's lead back to 10, 60-50, with 2:16 to play, before the Greyhounds cut it to a seven-point game one last time, 60-53, with 1:10 remaining in regulation, but would get no closer as the Monarchs claimed a nine-point victory on Wednesday night in Norfolk. ODU connected on 85.7% (6-7) from the charity stripe in the second half.
"It's hard for me to remember being as disappointed in our team as I am right now with what transpired tonight," said ODU head coach Jeff Jones. "We had a poor practice yesterday and that's what we looked like in the second half tonight. We have to give Loyola credit for coming out and playing with passion and intensity. This is not a good feeling and we need to get it corrected."
Xavier Green finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Jason Wade followed with 10 points, six rebounds, five steals and two assists.
For the game, ODU held a 24-12 advantage for points off turnovers.
ODU closed the first half on an 18-2 run, claiming a 33-14 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Malik Curry scored a half-high nine points, while Jason Wade followed with eight. The Monarchs defense held the Greyhounds to 25.0% (6-24) shooting from the floor and 11.1% (1-9) from deep in the first half.
Old Dominion will return to the hardwood on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET, when the Monarchs travel to Boston, Mass. For a showdown with old conference foe Northeastern, which will stream on FloHoops.
Curry Leads ODU Over Greyhounds in 62-53 Victory
