ODU avoids a meltdown with 65-62 win over Richmond

NORFOLK

Zone sweet zone.

Sure, the Old Dominion men's basketball team was happy to be back at the Constant Center for just the second time in nearly a month.

But just as important as the friendly crowd of 6,242 was the Monarchs' defense Wednesday night.

ODU rode a variety of zone defenses to a big first-half lead, then held on through some harrowing final possessions for a 65-62 victory over Richmond.

Despite some anxious moments - the Monarchs committed turnovers on each of their final three possessions and missed 3 of 4 free throws in the closing 1:17 - ODU snapped a three-game losing streak.

Old Dominion (2-3) avoided its first four-game skid since the 2001-02 season.

The Monarchs led by as many as 17 points before some missed shots and an offensive foul in the final 33 seconds kept Richmond from completing an improbable comeback.

"It was ugly," Monarchs point guard Darius James said of the late near-meltdown.

It was also a win, and came after back-to-back slim road losses.

Junior forward Keyon Carter, in his first regular-season collegiate start, led the Monarchs with 14 points and 10 rebounds - both career highs - while Gerald Lee added 12 points and James 11.

"A win is a win, and we earned it," ODU coach Blaine Taylor said. "We earned it a good way throughout the course of the game, and then we earned it the hard way at the end."

Bolstered by stingy zone defenses that kept Richmond from finding rhythm, Old Dominion led by 14 points at halftime and took a double-digit lead into the final seven minutes.

The Spiders (4-3), spurred by Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper, climbed back by scoring on 7 of 8 trips down the stretch.

Anderson's steal and layup with 44 seconds remaining accounted for the game's final points, pulling Richmond to within three.

While Old Dominion had trouble advancing the ball past midcourt on its final three possessions, the Spiders missed two open 3-pointers, and Harper was whistled for a charge near the basket in the final minute.

ODU's Jonathan Adams drew the charge with 33 seconds left after committing a turnover on the other end.

"We were just playing too timid," James said. "We got the win, but if that happens again we'll handle it better next time."

The late miscues spoiled what Taylor called ODU's "best half of the season."

Old Dominion seized control midway through the first half, rattling off a 13-0 spurt with scoring from five players.

The Spiders, meanwhile, struggled to crack's ODU's zones. Richmond was scoreless on eight consecutive possessions and on 11 of 12 trips at one point. During that scoreless stretch, the Monarchs' zone defense forced three turnovers and five missed shots.

"It certainly slows you down," Spiders coach Chris Mooney said. "It makes you think about the next pass you're throwing, it makes you probe a little bit, which slows you down and not be as fluid as you'd like."

Jami Frankenberry, (757) 446-2295, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com