ODU Men's Basketball Overwhelmed by a Very Good Princeton Team, 76-56

By Harry Minium
 
NORFOLK, Va. – Princeton was the Cinderella of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last season, when the Tigers advanced all the way to the Sweet 16. And the defending Ivy League champions gave every indication on Saturday that they may be even better this season.
 
The unbeaten Tigers put on a clinic at Chartway Arena as they outrebounded, outshot and out-quicked Old Dominion to claim a 76-56 victory.
 
While the outcome was disappointing for ODU, the Monarchs could take solace in knowing this may be the best team they play this season.
 
ODU (1-3) lost at14^th-ranked Arkansas last week, but Monarch head coach Jeff Jones said Princeton is the better team. Princeton is 5-0, with all five on the road, including a victory over Rutgers of the Big Ten.
 
"That team right there is the best team we've played," Jones said. 

"They made us play and the second we made a mistake they were able to capitalize it. I was very impressed with them tonight and it highlighted how far we've got to go."
 
ODU could do little to stop Xaivian Lee, a lightning quick sophomore guard from Toronto, Ontario who scored 19 points.
 
"We didn't have an individual who was able to stay in front of Lee," Jones said.
 
Caden Pierce, who has a brother who plays in the NFL and another who once played basketball at North Carolina and William and Mary, had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Tigers focused defensively on shutting down Chaunce Jenkins, the junior guard from Newport News who is ODU's best player. Jenkins made just 5 of 14 shots and finished with 12 points.
 
Vasean Allette, the 6-3 freshman from Toronto, led ODU with 15 points and Bryce Baker added 11. The 56 points was by far the lowest scoring total for the Monarchs, who have been playing more up-tempo this season.
 
Jones is trying to meld eight newcomers with his holdovers from last season and said so far, it is a work in progress.
 
"Two things have to happen for us," he said. "We've got to be a heck of a lot smarter. We've got to understand situational basketball. We've got a lot of young guys who are learning, but given our schedule, they've got to learn more quickly.
 
"The second thing is that we've got to be a lot tougher physically. I thought that was another area where Princeton excelled."
 
The game was close much of the first half, as ODU trailed 24-20 after nine minutes. But then Princeton went on a 12-4 run that ended with a Jack Scott free throw that put the Tigers up by 11 points, 36-24 with 1:44 left in the half.
 
Baker made a three-point shot and Devin Ceaser cut the margin nearly in half. Princeton led 37-30 at halftime.
 
Princeton then pulled away in the second half. Pierce's basket three minutes into the half built the lead to 10. Six minutes later, Zach Martini upped the margin to 18, 56-38, with a three-pointer.
 
ODU was never able to get the margin back into single digits.
 
ODU, which hosts Drexel Sunday at 2 p.m., was outrebounded, 37-33, and had no offensive rebounds in the first half.
 
ODU shot well from long distance, making nine of 18 three-point shots.
 
Jones said the issue was making tough shots inside the paint. Princeton outscored the Monarchs, 26-12, in the paint.
 
"We missed a lot of layups," he said.
 
ODU clearly missed Tyrone Williams, the 6-5 transfer from Oregon who was second in the team in scoring with 11.3 points and rebounding with 6.7.
 
Williams underwent a heart procedure on Tuesday and was released from a local hospital.
 
"He's feeling great," Jones said. "He wanted to play. But anything that has to do with the heart, it quite honestly scares me."
 
Jones said he believes Williams has been cleared, "but we're going to do some other precautionary tests. The medical professionals told us day to day.
 
"If that means he can practice with us Friday, I'm not going to make that call. We're going to let the medical professionals take care of that."