ODU drought helps VCU get regular-season sweep

NORFOLK

In the annals of the Old Dominion/Virginia Commonwealth rivalry, it will go down as "The Drought."

Ten minutes, one point. A string of 18 missed field goals, broken only by a goaltending call. A more-than 13-minute stretch without the ball physically going through the basket, except from the free-throw line.

And yet, somehow, ODU was still in the game. Shortly after, when the lid finally came off the basket, the Monarchs were in a position to win it.

Steal it, you could say, given their shooting woes. During a frantic finish, though, the difference-making plays were made by the Rams, who left town with a 68-64 win and a regular-season sweep of the Monarchs.

ODU is now two games out of first in the Colonial Athletic Association standings.

"We gave ourselves ample opportunity to take this game, grab it and win it," ODU's Kent Bazemore said. "We've just got to put the ball in the basket at the end of the day."

ODU (16-11, 11-4 CAA) could not in the second half, missing its first 18 field goal attempts and 20 of its first 21.

Still, VCU (22-5, 13-2) didn't exactly run away, and when Bazemore hit a layup with 6:33 left, the Monarchs trailed by just four, 50-46.

The Monarchs pulled even on a Donte Hill 3-pointer with 4:48 left and were up three after a Bazemore offensive rebound and put-back with 1:01 to go.

After a 3-pointer by Bradford Burgess (24 points) tied it, Bazemore threw a pass that was intercepted by Juvonte Reddic. Darius Theus (Norcom) scored on a lay-up and was fouled by Hill. Theus' free throw with 30 seconds left gave VCU a 64-61 edge.

After a missed 3-point attempt by Trian Iliadis, Theus hit two more free throws that appeared to decide it, putting VCU up five with 16 seconds left.

But Iliadis hit a 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left, and VCU needed a pair of free throws from freshman Briante Weber (Great Bridge) to seal it.

For ODU, it was a tough loss to take in front of an amped-up, sold-out crowd.

Unlike last month's loss to VCU in Richmond, turnovers weren't ODU's undoing. The Monarchs had 17, same as VCU.

ODU had a 48-36 edge on the glass, and, despite shooting 22 percent in the second half, finished at 36 percent for the game to VCU's 38.

The Rams hit 10 3-pointers, however, including five by Burgess and a critical one by Theus with two minutes left, and made 20 free throws to ODU's 15.

Coach Blaine Taylor pointed to those numbers as difference-makers, as well as "The Drought."

VCU's half-court defense had a lot do with that.

"We were playing team defense, helping each other, being aggressive," Burgess said.

Taylor felt that aggression crossed the line at times, and picked up a rare technical foul arguing that point early in the second half.

"They were just trying to be so physical with us to try to disrupt," he said. "I thought that was a difference-maker, seeing how much they could bump and get away with, and that the officials weren't looking."

Guard Marquel De Lancey was called for a technical about four minutes later, making a similar case. ODU looked to be reeling, but despite it all, rallied to get back in it.

The Monarchs, though, were left hoping for one more shot at the Rams, at the CAA tournament.

"They've got bragging rights for a while, but there still looms that possibility out there," Taylor said.

Ed Miller, 757-446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com