Old Dominion (2-3) vs. Morgan State (1-4)
Game Info – Friday, Nov. 21 – 7 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – ESPN Sports Radio 94.1
Live Stats – Click Here
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion men’s basketball is back in Norfolk this Friday as the Monarchs welcome Morgan State for a 7 p.m. game at Chartway Arena.
Scott Jackson and Billy Mann will cover the game on ESPN+, with Matt Hatfield and Dennis Wolff also calling the game on ESPN Sports Radio 94.1. Live stats will also be available.
Before opening tip, the Monarchs will recognize Dr. Jim Jarrett, ODU’s former athletics director from 1970-2010 who passed away earlier this week. A moment of silence will also be observed.
Series History
Friday will mark the fifth-ever meeting between the programs, with ODU holding a 4-0 lead in the all-time series.
The Monarchs and Bears last met on Dec. 22, 2018 in Norfolk with ODU coming away with a 76-53 victory. Aaron Carver set a new career high with 20 rebounds to go along with 10 points, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Ahmad Caver led Old Dominion with 21 points and eight assists, Marquis Godwin made five threes and finished with a career high 15 points, and Xavier Green chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
About ODU
The Monarchs (2-3) were in Cincinnati on Tuesday and fell 99-69 to the Xavier Musketeers inside of the Cintas Center. The hosts capitalized on multiple ODU turnovers early in the game and made a season-high 16 three-pointers to pull away in the second half. LJ Thomas led Old Dominion with 13 points, Drew McKenna was next with 12 points, and Robert Davis Jr. and Caelum Swanton-Rodger added 10 points each in the loss.
Through the team’s first five games, KC Shaw and Thomas have paced the offense with 14.2 and 14.0 ppg, respectively. Jordan Battle is third in scoring with 8.2 ppg and is shooting 81% at the free-throw line. Scottie Hubbard (5.4 ppg) has made a team-high seven threes, with Davis Jr. (6.5 ppg) and Jared Turner (4.2 ppg) right behind him with six threes each. Swanton-Rodger averages 6.8 ppg and leads the Monarchs with 26 boards (5.2 rpg) and five blocks, while Battle has grabbed 25 boards (5.0 rpg) and a team-best nine steals.
Thomas, a senior Plant City, Florida native who transferred in from Austin Peay, ranks third in the Sun Belt with a 1.92 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s also fourth in the league with 4.6 assists per game and ranks fifth with 23 total assists.
ODU is scoring 73.4 ppg, but has allowed 78.4 ppg. The Monarchs are shooting a combined 44.3% from the floor, including 29.5% from beyond the arc, and 72.7% at the free-throw line. The team has tallied 74 assists and is third in the conference with 14.8 assists per game.
About Morgan State
The Bears (1-4) has dropped three in a row and is coming off a 79-73 loss to North Carolina A&T on Tuesday. Down 45-38 at the half, Morgan State took a 73-72 lead with 2:06 left in the game on a jumper by Eugene Alvin. However, NCAT’s Lewis Walker put the Aggies back in front with a three ball and they closed out the game with a 4-for-4 effort at the line.
Three players are scoring in double figures for the Bears: Rob Lawson is netting 14.6 ppg, Alfred Worrell Jr. is second with 14.0 ppg, and Elijah Davis is third at 12.4 ppg. Worrell Jr. is the go-to option from the perimeter. He has made 10 threes so far and ranks 31st nationally with 38 three-point attempts. Christian Meeks (6.2 ppg) has pulled down 23 rebounds (4.6 rpg) and is the MEAC leader with 3.00 offensive rebounds per game. Davis and Lawson have dished out 45 assists, and Davis enters Friday’s game with seven steals. Dallas James (2.4 ppg) ranks first in the MEAC with seven blocks and 1.40 blocks per game.
Morgan State leads their conference in free throw percentage (76.2%), free throws made per game (19.2), free throw attempts per game (25.2), and fastbreak points (15.80). The team is also second in the MEAC and 37th in the country with 37.60 bench points per game. The Bears have been outscored by an average of 3.0 points, allowing 82.0 ppg while scoring 79.0. The team is shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.0% from long range.
Head coach Kevin Broadus is in his seventh year with the program. The Bears were picked to finish fourth in the MEAC’s Preseason Poll behind Norfolk State, Howard, and South Carolina State, and Walter Peggs, Jr. was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team.
The team finished 14-18 last season and 7-7 in conference play. Lawson is Morgan State’s lone returning starter from 2024-25. The Bears have six returners and nine newcomers this season.
Up Next
The Monarchs have a couple of road games in Philadelphia coming up, starting with a 2 p.m. game at Drexel this Sunday. ODU will then play a 7 p.m. game at Villanova on Tuesday.
Season Sponsor
Bon Secours is the Presenting Sponsor of Old Dominion University’s 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Season. Bon Secours is proud to operate its four hospitals and medical centers in Hampton Roads and is even more proud to serve the surrounding community with exceptional care. It’s our mission at Bon Secours Hampton Roads to treat the whole person — mind, body and spirit, to bring compassion to health care, and to be good help to those in need. Bon Secours – the health care you deserve from a team you can trust.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
Men's Basketball Season Tickets: Secure your spot for all 14 of ODU’s home games this season, including the exhibition game versus Hampton, for just $215.
Women's Basketball Season Tickets: Enjoy every moment of Monarchs basketball with season tickets for $120 (adults), which includes access to all 15 home games.
Discounted season ticket rates are available for ODU Faculty & Staff, ODU Letterwinners, Young Alumni, Band & Spirit Parents and Military. Call for more information.
Mini-Plans: Want flexibility? Choose a mini-plan! Get tickets to six men's games starting at $120 or six women's games for $60 ($10 per game!). Additionally, fans can purchase a Norfolk State +2 mini pack starting at $81.
Single-Game Tickets: Mark your calendar—single-game tickets will be available starting October 14, except for the men’s game versus Norfolk State, which will go on-sale in late October.
Call the ODU Ticket Office at 757-683-3375 or online at odusports.com/tickets to secure your seats today!