By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – The star of Old Dominion's final non-conference basketball game of the season was clearly Tyreek Scott-Grayson, the senior transfer from Northeastern, who tied his career high with 30 points.
But when the game was on the line, the ball was in the hands of 6-foot-4 guard Chaunce Jenkins, the transfer from Wichita State who delivered what ODU needed in the final minutes to pull out a hard-fought victory.
The Newport News native scored seven points in the final 3:17, including a game-winning, bump-and-grind scoop shot in the lane with 2.5 seconds left, to allow ODU to claim a 78-77 triumph over George Mason Wednesday.
ODU trailed by a point with nine seconds left when George Mason's Josh Oduro missed a foul shot, which was rebounded by Faizon Fields. He dished the ball to Jenkins, who raced up the court and saw the left side of the lane was guarded only by George Mason's Victor Bailey Jr.
"I knew it was going to be me and him with no help," Jenkins said.
So, Jenkins raced toward Bailey and bumped into him just outside the lane and threw in a nothing-but-net scoop shot.
George Mason (7-5) called a timeout but its final desperation shot fell short.
The victory was the fourth in a row and the fifth in the last six games for the streaking Monarchs (8-4), who play their first Sun Belt Conference games next week when they host Arkansas State on Dec. 29 and Louisiana on Dec. 31. ODU rejoined the Sun Belt in July after a 31-year absence.
Tyreek Scott-Grayson scored 30 points.
"That was a terrific win against a quality opponent," head coach Jeff Jones said. "It certainly will make Christmas that much happier at the Jones household and for all of the guys on the staff and our players.
"It was two teams going at each other pretty hard and we just made one more play."
It was a rare mid-week, afternoon game. But even with the early start, the game drew a crowd of 4,297 to Chartway Arena that looked and sounded larger.
Few left their seats in a second half that had six ties and seven lead changes.
ODU led by seven points with 8:10 left on a soft jump shot from Dericko Williams.
But five minutes later, Ronald Polite III made a three-pointer to knot the score at 69-all.
From then on, it was a matter of who had the ball last.
Chaunce Jenkins scored the game-winner with 2.5 seconds left.
Jenkins broke away from a defender and dunked ODU into a 71-69 lead with 3:17 left and then scored again with 1:59 left to give ODU a 73-71 lead.
Polite scored four points on two possessions to give the Patriots a 75-73 lead and when 36 seconds left, Jenkins was fouled. He made the first and missed the second and the Patriots took a three-point lead, 77-74, on two foul shots by Bailey.
ODU needed a three-pointer to tie, but Faizon Fields was fouled with 11 seconds left and made two crucial free throws to pull the Monarchs within one.
ODU then fouled Oduro in front of the Monarch bench as Jones and his staff screamed that Oduro had walked.
But in the end the non-call did not matter.
He missed the first free throw, and Fields, again, made a clutch play, grabbing the rebound and tossing directly to Jenkins, who raced down the court and made a shot that set off a thunderous celebration from fans, coaches and players alike.
Generally poised at game's end, Jones joyfully tossed a clipboard in the air when the final horn blew.
If Oduro missed, Jones told his players whoever rebounded needed to get the ball to Jenkins.
"We didn't have any more timeouts, so coach told us if they miss, get the ball and go make a play," Jenkins said.
And he did.
Scott-Grayson was a scoring machine through three-quarters of the game. The Brick, New Jersey native last scored 30 points in 2020 against Rice when he played for UAB.
In recent weeks, he had been slowed by sickness, but began shooting early and often and at times it seemed like he could not miss. He made 11 of 17 shots, including 6 of 11 three-pointers, and also had six rebounds and three assists.
It was the most points a Monarch has scored since Malik Curry scored 30 points on February 6, 2020, against Texas-San Antonio.
Faizon Fields had two clutch free throws and a rebound in the game's final seconds.
Dogged by George Mason's defense, which focused more attention on him in the second half, he did not score in the game's final nine minutes. Jenkins, meanwhile, scored 12 of his 17 points in the final nine minutes.
Mekhi Long added 11 points and point guard Imo Essien added 10 points and five assists and played a near-flawless floor game in the second half.
After giving up 16 points off turnovers in the first half, the Monarchs only had one turnover in the second half.
"Just one turnover in the second half, that was big," Jones said.
"I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon tonight," Jones added. "The adrenaline is still pumping.
"I'm so happy for our guys. They have worked really, really hard."
NOTE: There was a moment of silence before Wednesday's game to honor Randy Leddy, ODU's all-time rebound leader who is 22nd among Monarch career scorers. Leddy passed away last week.
A graduate of Princess Anne High in Virginia Beach, he played four years at Old Dominion College as the school was then known, from 1961-62 to 1965-66. He pulled down 1,153 rebounds and scored 1,411 points while playing three seasons under Bud Metheny and one for Sonny Allen.
He was a three-time team MVP playing who played with some of the best players in ODU history, including Leo Anthony, who was the university's first All-American. Leddy was an All-Mason Dixon Conference pick as a senior.
Leddy taught for the Norfolk Public Schools before going on to a long and distinguished career as a Navy pilot. He retired as a Commander.
ODU Men's Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Schedule with a 78-77 Victory Over George Mason
