ODU (12-19, 8-10 SBC) vs ULM (7-24, 3-15 SBC) OR Louisiana (11-20, 8-10 SBC)
WHEN: Wednesday, Mar. 5 - 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola, Fla. - Pensacola Bay Center
ALL-TIME: ULM series tied 1-1 | ODU leads Louisiana 2-1
LIVE STATS: Click Here!
WATCH: ESPN+
LISTEN - ESPN Radio 94.1
SOCIAL MEDIA - X, Facebook, Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion men’s basketball travels to Pensacola, Florida to play in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Monarchs play the winner of ULM vs. Louisiana on March 5 at 8:30 p.m.
The game will have live stats and will be streamed on ESPN+. Andy Mashaw and Dennis Wolff will be on the call for ESPN Radio 94.1.
LAST TIME OUT
ODU defeated ULM 80-75 in overtime on Dec. 21 at ULM, fueled by a 32-point performance by Robert Davis Jr., earning Davis the Sun Belt Player of the Week award. ULM’s Jalen Bolden hit two free throws with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. ODU trailed 75-72 with 1:16 left in the game before a Robert Davis Jr. three-pointer tied it up. The Monarchs got a stop on the next possession and then got fouled on the other end. Sean Durugordon made two free throws to take the lead with 30 seconds left. A missed layup by Bolden led to the Warhawks intentionally fouling Caelum Swanton-Rodger who made both free throws to put ODU up by two possessions and end the game.
The Monarchs defeated the Ragin Cajuns 71-60 on Jan. 9 in Lafayette. ODU led 32-30 at halftime but trailed by five at the 17:55 mark. ODU tied the game a minute later after an RJ Blakney layup before Jaden Johnson took back the lead with a pair of free throws. Durugordon extended the lead to six at the charity stripe with a pair of makes with 13:14 remaining. Davis Jr. got the lead to nine after a three-pointer at the 11:34 mark. With 4:22 remaining Davis missed a three but an offensive team rebound got him another chance to make a pull up jumper that put ODU up by 12. From then onward, the Ragin Cajuns could only cut its deficit to nine before the final buzzer sounded.
ABOUT ODU
Old Dominion men’s basketball went 1-1 in the final week of the regular season, dropping a game at Marshall and winning at Coastal Carolina by two. ODU has an overall record of 12-19 and is 8-10 in the Sun Belt. The Monarchs are 10th in the Sun Belt, 320 in NET Ranking, 308 in Kenpom, and have a -8.1 BPI.
Davis Jr. is the team’s leading scorer averaging 15.6 points per game. Davis leads the team in three-point attempts and makes (102-309). The sophomore transfer from UMass averages 3.40 made threes per game which has him fifth in the nation, while his 102 makes from deep are fifth in the NCAA. In the Sun Belt, Davis ranks tied for fifth in scoring (15.6 ppg), first in total three-pointers made (102), and is first in minutes per game (35.85).
Durugordon is the team’s second leading scorer averaging 15.3 ppg. The native of Harlem, New York, is ODU’s leading rebounder averaging 8.6 rpg. His average of 3.90 offensive rebounds per game is sixth best in the nation and ranks first in the Sun Belt. He is the team’s third leading free throw shooter, hitting 77.5% at the stripe. Durugordon ranks seventh in the Sun Belt in scoring (15.3 ppg), third in rebounding (8.6 rpg), ninth in field goal percentage (46.4%), and seventh in free throw percentage (77.5). Durugordon has 13 double doubles this season which ranks 11th in the NCAA, second in the Sun Belt, and his eight 20-point games is seventh in the Sun Belt.
Caelum Swanton-Rodger, a junior transfer from Maryland, swats away 1.57 blocks per game, his 47 blocks this season ranks 54th in the nation and is tied for second in the Sun Belt. The junior from Calgary, Alberta, Canada has played 30 of 29 games in his first year at Old Dominion and averages 5.4 ppg on 55.7% shooting and grabs 4.5 rebounds per game.
Freshman Jaden Johnson has started 30 games this season at point guard. He leads the Monarchs in assists per game (3.6) which ranks eighth in the Sun Belt. The native of Walker Mill, Maryland is sixth in the Sun Belt in minutes played (33.77). He has a +1.46 assist to turnover ratio and averages 8.9 points per game.
Caden Diggs has played in all 31 games as a freshman. He shoots 82.1% from the charity stripe and averages 3.0 ppg on 37.1% shooting from the field. The native of Waldorf, Maryland averages 11.1 minutes per game and grabs 1.4 rebounds per game.
ODU averages 68.5 ppg, shoots 39.8% from the floor and 28.7% from behind the arc, making 6.2 per game. They hold a +1.9-rebounding margin and grab 38.1 per game while dishing out 10.6 assists per game. The Monarchs have swatted away 93 shots this season while swiping 175 steals. In the Sun Belt, ODU ranks first in offensive rebounds per game (14.19), second in offensive rebound percentage (36.0%), and they have the third-best rebounding offense (38.10). The Monarchs are the seventh ranked offensive rebounding team in the nation, averaging 14.19 offensive rebounds per game.
ABOUT ULM
ULM has an overall record of 7-24 and are 3-15 in the Sun Belt. The Warhawks go into Pensacola as the 14 seed. ULM has four players scoring in double figures, Jalen Bolden (12.9), Coltie Young (12.1), Tyreese Watson (11.9), and Makai Willis (10.5) rounding out the scoring.
ULM averages 68.9 ppg and shoot 40.6% from the field, 32.9% from deep, and 71.6% from the free throw line. The Ragin Cajuns grab 36.3 rebounds per game and dish 12.9 assists per game. On the defensive end, Louisiana swipes 7.2 steals per game and swats 2.4 shots per game.
ABOUT LOUISIANA
The Ragin Cajuns have an overall record of 11-20 and are 8-10 in the Sun Belt. Louisiana is the 11 seed in the conference tournament. Mostapha El Moutaouakkil is the team’s leading scorer averaging 13.8 ppg followed by Kentrell Garnett with 10.5 ppg.
Louisiana averages 65.7 ppg and shoot 39.9% from the field, 31.1% from deep, and 73.2% from the charity stripe. The Ragin Cajuns grab 30.8 rebounds per game and dish 10.5 assists per game. On the defensive end, Louisiana swipes 7.4 steals per game and swats 2.8 shots per game.
UP NEXT
The winner of the ODU and ULM/Louisiana contest will face off against Texas State on Thursday March 6.