The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Old Dominion will have to chew on this one for a while.
Up 12 points Wednesday night, the Monarchs lost their lead, scrambled to force an extra five minutes but couldn’t finish the job and fell 65-63 in overtime to the University of Vermont at the Constant Center.
After a stretch of six games in 12 days, ODU won’t play again until Tuesday. It was hardly the way the Monarchs (3-3) wanted to head into their first breather of the young season.
“When it was ultimately over, probably all in all, we might have got what we deserved,” coach Blaine Taylor said.
Particularly since the game played out the way the coach thought it might. On Tuesday afternoon, he’d stopped practice to warn his team that Vermont (3-2) was an experienced, road-tested bunch that wouldn’t go away if ODU built a double-digit lead.
It was more than just coachspeak.
ODU led by 12 with 16:30 to go, but Vermont kept grinding, running its deliberate offense and chipping away at the lead. The Catamounts hit shots late in the clock, scrambled for offensive rebounds, and kept ODU from getting second shots.
Down four with 26.5 seconds to go, ODU forced overtime with a 3-point play by Dimitri Batten and a pair of free throws from Nick Wright.
The Catamounts regrouped and won the overtime.
“If you really want to get right down to it, I thought they were a little tougher at times than we were,” Taylor said.
Particularly on the boards. The surprise of the night was Vermont’s 12-rebound edge over ODU, a team that hangs its hat on its work on the glass. The Catamounts also held ODU to 34 percent shooting, though they had plenty of help from the Monarchs, who missed a variety of makeable shots from near and far.
Guard Kent Bazemore went just 4 of 18. Marquel De Lancey was 0 for 7 and Trian Iliadis 2 for 7. Combined, the three seniors went 6 for 32.
“I’ve got to get better,” Bazemore said. “Two games in a row I feel like I had a chance to help my team and I’ve fallen short.”
Bazemore (14 points) had plenty of company. Forward Chris Cooper picked up early fouls and played just 18 minutes. Iliadis went 0 for 5 from 3-point range. De Lancey had a costly turnover in overtime, when forward Brian Voelkel ripped the ball from him.
A career night from Wright (24 points, 10 rebounds) kept ODU in it down the stretch. But even he had some defensive lapses that were costly, Taylor said.
For Vermont, of the America East Conference, it was a “great win for our program” coach John Becker said.
“Our kids really battled,” he said.
For ODU, it was a “heavy dose of reality”, Taylor said, after a win over South Florida and an impressive showing against No.2 Kentucky.
The Monarchs will have some time to let it sink in.
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6 FOR 32
This 6 for 32 reminds me of 4th and 29. Hopefully these Monarchs have the heart of their football counterparts to recover.
Scrappy team with more heart
Say what you want about missing shots, fouls, etc... One thing was evident, VERMONT played every second of that game with the heart of a winner. They chased down loose balls, contested every shot, and passed the ball to the open man. The Catamounts were on a mission not to loose. There were periods when ODU played well, but they are really still growing as a team and trying to find their identity. It appeared that Vermont was a team. They liked each other, they fought for each other. ODU will get there... Blaine seems to find a way to get the team going.
Very Competitive BBall Game & Fun to Watch
Foul trouble and questionable calls didn't help our case, but it was the poor shooting and lack of rebounding that killed us! Almost every loose ball went to Vermont. We didn't seem to be in sync moving the ball. Vermont didn't turn the ball over so very few fast break points.
The bench didn't have any spark when they came in.
Great to see Nick Wright score his career high - 24 pts. He could have had 30 pts. easy - he missed a few layups! He is so much improved over last year!!!
I know the coach will get their game working again! I know one player wishes he would not have dunked (it didn't go in) - we could have used those 2 pts.
Go Monarchs!
Monarch's Need More Work!
I watched the last 8 minutes of this game. It was extremely competitive. Either team could have won it. It came down to who was the best in a close, competitive game, at this point in the season? Clearly, Vermont was the best team during this stretch. I love ODU basketball, but fella's, you've got some work to do! I thought the ODU players missed too many open shots down the stretch! Both free throw's and baskets! And that turnover in overtime was a game buster! But the turnover was the least of this teams problems! It was a team collapse! They deserve their 4th place early season ranking in their division at this point! They will have to prove themselves deserving of more!
An honest ODU fan!
Sit
Blaine needs to make the seniors sit out the first half, no matter what. Let them think about how they can contribute and then send them in for five minutes to see if they really are SENIORS. Their play is too inconsistent for a group that has three years to develop their skills and it's not because they have been sitting on the bench.
Tammy