ODU Men's Basketball Falls to JMU, 74-60, In Front of 6,008 On A Snowy Night

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – In contrast to its last two home games, in which the Old Dominion men’s basketball team got off to a tortoise-like start in losses to App State and Georgia Southern, the Monarchs came out of the box strong Wednesday night against James Madison.

But alas for the Monarchs, their finish wasn’t quite as good, nor was their shot selection.

After ODU took a quick, 10-point lead, the Dukes dominated the final 33 minutes and rolled to a 74-60 victory over ODU, their eighth in a row over the Monarchs.

The game drew a Chartway Arena crowd of 6,008, the largest of the season, in spite of the snow that blanketed Hampton Roads and forced most area businesses and schools to close.

Mike Jones, ODU’s head coach, opened his post-game comments by praising the Monarch fan base, but then had some strong words for his team.

“We’ve got to play together,” he said, as he began a long monologue about his players' shot selection.

The Monarchs had just four assists apiece in their three home losses, an indication that players aren’t sharing the ball enough, Jones said. The Monarchs finish the four-game home stand Saturday against Coastal Carolina.

“We’ve got to play and execute an offense in which we are willing to share (the ball), in which we’re willing to play for one another,” Jones said.

When ODU (8-12 overall, 4-4 Sun Belt) won at Louisiana and South Alabama on a recent road trip, “our assist numbers were way up. We averaged about 15 assists per game.

“We’re at way less than 10 now. I think that is a very glaring stat that anybody in our program should be able to look at and say, ‘Hey, this is an issue.’

“I’m not pointing fingers at any one person. This is a collective thing. We’ve got to coach them to share the ball better. They’ve got to execute to share the ball better.”

The Monarchs took nine more shots than JMU (11-9, 4-4) and outscored the Dukes 21-19 from the foul line. But JMU shot well, making 25-of-46 shots (54.3 percent) while ODU shot poorly (18-of-55, 32.7).

Jones said some of those misses were the result of poor shot selection.

Robert Davis Jr. led ODU with 23 points while freshman guard Jaden Johnson added 14 and senior Sean Durugordon 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals.

ODU still led, 25-22, with 5:42 left in the first half following a Davis three-point shot.

But then the bottom fell out, as JMU went on a 15-2 run and took a 10-point lead, 37-27, a 20-point swing over 12 minutes.

Bryce Lindsay, a transfer from Texas A&M, scored 12 of JMU’s 15 points during the comeback.

Johnson’s jump shot with three seconds left allowed ODU to trim to the lead to eight, 37-29, at the half.

ODU center Caelum Swanton-Rodger trimmed the lead to five with a pair of foul shots three minutes into the second half. 

But then JMU went on a quick, 10-0 run, as Mark Freeman made a layup, Eddie Ricks III a three-point shot, and Ricks and AJ Smith back-to-back breakaway dunks.

Smith’s free throw made it 47-32, JMU, four minutes into the second half.

Swanton-Rodger trimmed the lead to 58-50 with a layup six minutes into the second half, but that was as close as ODU would get.

Jones called the turnout of 6,008 “amazing” given the four inches of snow that fell in Norfolk. More than 700 students picked up tickets on Wednesday.

The temperature dipped below 20 by the time the game ended.

“I want to make sure that as frustrated and bothered as I am, that I say that ultimately, we are so blessed to be able to play where we play, to coach where we coach,” he said.

“With the weather as cold as it is, for people to fight through the snow, for students to come out like they did, I can’t thank Monarch Nation and our student body enough.

“It really means so much to me. It warms my heart to see the support that we get. This is why this place is as a special as it is. I just can’t wait for us to start playing like it.”

NOTE: A moment of silence was held in the first half for Gerard “Jerry” Patrick Brunick, Jr., who passed away on Dec. 19.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Jerry met his wife, Linda, while attending ODU. Both were avid ODU basketball fans and began supporting the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation.

Jerry was appointed to the ODAF Board of Trustees in 1989 and served on the board through 2023. He also served as chairman of the board.

The family asked that memorial donations be made to the Gerard P. Brunick, Jr. endowed men’s basketball scholarship.

To donate, CLICK HERE