STATESBORO, Ga. – Jordan McLaughlin scored with four seconds left in overtime as the Old Dominion women's basketball team grabbed an 84-82 win over Georgia Southern on Thursday night at Hanner Fieldhouse.
After the hosts scored the equalizer to knot the game at 82-82 with seven seconds on the clock, ODU called a 30-second timeout to advance the ball. McLaughlin got the inbounds pass, saw a path to the basket, and kissed a shot off the glass for the deciding score. The Eagles' Ja'Nya Love-Hill had a look at a three-point shot at the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim as ODU held on for the victory.
"I told Jordan late that we're not going to let the last 40 something minutes affect the next minute and 23 seconds, so let's put that behind us. I drew up a play, an old-school play that I had in my back pocket, where I put them in a line series and had her come bolting around the top of the stack. We were able to get her on the little slice action with a bounce pass going to her right hand, which is her strong suit, and she's able to finish in traffic with that," said head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones.
"All I was thinking about is Coach told me it was going to come down to me," added McLaughlin. "If they pick me up, I'd have had [Makayla] Dickens out for the three, but I saw the last two layups I'd had were short and I knew I had to get it on the glass. I had to use the glass instead of trying to just go straight in."
The Monarchs (11-7, 3-2 Sun Belt) trailed 43-39 at halftime, but outscored the home team 20-15 in the third quarter to take a 59-58 lead into the fourth. An Amari Young layup put ODU in front 73-71 with 3:10 to play, and Kaye Clark added a free throw with 2:23 remaining. However, Love-Hill responded with a jumper and a 1-for-2 effort at the line by Lydia Freeman pulled the Eagles (11-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) even at 74-74. McLaughlin had a chance to clinch the game in regulation, but her layup with seven seconds left was off the mark.
All five starters for ODU finished in double figures. Makayla Dickens made four long balls and finished with a team-high 17 points. Clark flirted with a triple double, scoring 14 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Brianna Jackson tallied 13 points with nine boards, and McLaughlin and Young ended their nights with 13 points and eight rebounds each.
"It was a great game on both ends," continued Milton-Jones. "There were a lot of highs and lows. The lead changed between teams several times and we were able to weather the storm, get the key rebounds when we needed them the most, and come away with a great win."
The Monarchs out-rebounded their opponents 53-42, forced 20 turnovers, and scored more second-chance points, 14-12. The first meeting between the two programs, the game featured 13 ties and seven lead changes.
ODU has a quick turnaround as the team will host Marshall for a 4 p.m. conference game this Saturday at Chartway Arena.
"We were 2-2 and they were 3-1 and sitting at second in the conference, so we knew if we got this one it would be a big win for us and we could move back up in the rankings. The Sun Belt is a hard conference, so we knew we needed a win under our belt. This was a good road win for us," said McLaughlin.
Game Notes
- Georgia Southern came into the game ranked as the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. The Eagles shot .508 (31-for-61) from the field, .318 (7-for-22) from beyond the arc, and .464 (13-for-28) at the free-throw line.
- Tonight was the third time this season ODU has scored 80 or more points and the second time in as many games.
- It was the fourth overtime victory for Coach Milton-Jones in her time leading the Monarchs.
- It was the seventh game in a row Dickens has scored in double digits.
- Jackson's 13 points mark a new season high, and her nine rebounds tie her season best.
McLaughlin Lifts Monarchs to 84-82 Overtime Win at Georgia Southern
