By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Amari Young did everything she could on Saturday to help her Old Dominion women's basketball team win her final home game at Chartway Arena. The senior from North Augusta, South Carolina poured in 23 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and made a clutch jump shot that sent the game into overtime.
But ODU went cold in the final minutes of overtime and fell to James Madison, 73-68, in a battle of two of the best teams in the Sun Belt.
ODU (19-10 overall, 11-5 Sun Belt) fell out of a three-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt and into a three-way tie for third with Texas State and Southern Miss. JMU (22-6, 12-4) and Troy are tied for first.
The top four teams receive a double bye into the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Feb. 28-March 6 in Pensacola, Florida. Each team has two games left.
The game harkened back to golden days of ODU women's basketball as the teams played hard and well in a high-level, entertaining game in front of 3,336 exuberant fans. Other than an Education Day crowd of 6,000 filled with Norfolk elementary school students in November, it was the largest crowd to see ODU play this season, home or away.
It was alumni night, and the crowd cheered as dozens of former players, and former coach Wendy Larry, were introduced at halftime.
"I thought the environment today was spectacular," said head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones, who picked up a microphone and thanked the crowd minutes after the game ended.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams," Milton-Jones added. "JMU got the best of us tonight, but I feel like we gifted them by making 25 turnovers."
Many of the turnovers were unforced and JMU, which had 13 turnovers, outscored ODU, 22-11, on points off of turnovers.
That explains why ODU had a 42-33 rebounding edge, but JMU took nine more shots than the Monarchs.
Young was magnificent throughout, as she was often double-teamed and the object of aggressive defensive play by the Dukes. But she was at her best in the first quarter, as she made her first six shots and scored ODU's first 12 points in the first five minutes as the Monarchs took a quick 12-9 lead.
"Amari just came out and set the tone and was like, 'I'm going to get the ball and do something with it,'" Milton-Jones said. "She looked like a woman on a mission."
Kaye Clark made a three-pointer before the halftime buzzer to lift ODU to a 33-31 lead while JMU's Caroline Germond returned the favor with a short jump shot at the buzzer ending the third quarter that gave the Dukes a 44-42 lead.
That set up a fourth quarter was about as even as it could be, as the score was tied five times and each team led three times.
JMU led, 57-55, with 2:57 left when the Monarchs were twice called for travels that drew howls from the ODU bench, as well as Jordan McLaughlin and Makayla Dickens, who were cited for the travel calls.
"I feel like that call could have been made 1,000 times during the game, so why choose to blow the whistle in that moment?" Milton-Jones said when asked about the calls. She declined further comment.
The refs then called a hook shot from Kseniia Kozlova, a senior from Moscow, Russia, good even though the shot appeared to take place after the shock clock went off. A review showed the clock had expired, and officials overturned the basket, trimming the lead back to two.
That set up a wild final two minutes of regulation.
ODU's Jada Duckett tied the scored on an open layup, off a nice feed from McLaughlin, with 1:27 left.
Kiki Jefferson, who led JMU with 30 points, then put in a driving shot over Young's outstretched hands with 21.2 seconds left that gave the Dukes a 59-57 lead.
ODU called a timeout and went to a set play in which Clark drove to the basket and made a layup that tied the score again at 59-59.
Then it was JMU's time to run a set play. With Kozlova isolated on the left side, she made an uncontested layup, with 5.2 seconds left.
Milton-Jones then called a timeout, and set up the final shot for Young.
"We knew if Amari got the ball with her athleticism, her shooting ability, her driving ability and footwork, we knew were going to get a good shot," she said.
They did, as Young took a pass just outside the foul line and turned and put up a shot that twice bounced off the rim and in with 1.5 seconds left that sent the game to OT.
ODU dominated in the early minutes of overtime. Brianna Jackson made a layup, was fouled and made the layup and the foul shot. Young then made a foul shot and McLaughlin two to build the lead to six 67-61, with 3:30 left.
ODU then went stone cold, scoring just one more point the rest of the game.
Kobe King-Hawea gave JMU a 69-68 lead with 47 seconds to go on a short jumper and then Germond made two free throws with 20 seconds left to put JMU ahead, 71-68.
ODU then lost control of the ball with 10 seconds left and Young scrambled for the ball, but was called for an offensive foul. Jefferson then made two free throws with 10 seconds left to build the lead to five.
After a final ODU timeout, Taleah Washington, who had 11 points, attempted a three-pointer with five seconds left that fell short.
Milton-Jones teared up during her post-game press conference when she was asked about Young, whose father, Al Young, passed away two days before Christmas.
Amari Young grieving for her father
"Amari is so special in so many ways," Milton-Jones said. "I don't have kids, but she's the closest I have to feeling what a mother would feel for her daughter.
"We wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for Ms. Young doing what she does every day when the lights are on and when they are off. She has been such a blessing for everyone in our program.
"This stings a little because we wanted the ending to be different because Amari deserves that. But at the end of the day, she's a winner and will forever be one and I'm so proud of her."
ODU's last two games of the regular season are both on the road as the Monarchs will play a 6 p.m. game at Marshall this Wednesday, Feb. 22 before traveling to Coastal Carolina for another 6 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 24. The 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship is set for Feb. 28-March 6 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.