ODU scorches the nets at W&M, wins 70-51

WILLIAMSBURG

Second shots? Old Dominion had no need.

The Monarchs made so many of their first ones over several key stretches of a 70-51 win over William and Mary on Wednesday.

ODU hit its first nine of the game to open a 21-7 lead. The Monarchs hit their last five of the first half, turning a shaky-looking seven-point lead into a 19-point halftime bulge.

The outcome was typical Monarch-vs.-Tribe stuff. ODU (16-10, 11-3 CAA) has won nine straight in the series and remained a game behind conference leaders Drexel, George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth. The Rams come to the Constant Center on Saturday.

The method was a departure from the norm, though.

In many recent meetings, ODU has clobbered W&M on the offensive glass, scoring on second-chance attempts and wearing down the smaller Tribe over 40 minutes.

On Wednesday, the Monarchs carved up W&M with crisp ball movement and the occasional outburst of transition baskets.

"I just think the guys were real focused. This is the type of team we can be when we're all on our 'A' game," guard Kent Bazemore said.

No run was as pivotal as the late first-half stretch. After weathering ODU's blistering early shooting, the Tribe collected itself and had a chance to cut the margin to five with 3:50 left and Quinn McDowell at the free-throw line for a one-and-one opportunity.

McDowell missed. Then teammate Julian Boatner missed a 3-point attempt.

ODU's Dimitri Batten answered with a trey. Nick Wright hit a hook, Batten another 3-pointer, Trian Iliadis a layup and Bazemore a jumper.

The 12-0 run made it 41-22 at the half.

"A really important spurt in the game," coach Blaine Taylor said.

Tribe coach Tony Shaver agreed, pointing to a similar late-half run by ODU in the Monarchs' win in Norfolk on Jan. 28.

"I really felt like we would play better," he said. "I really felt like we would show improvement from 10 days ago and we really didn't."

W&M (4-22, 2-12) had its usual troubles against ODU's zone defense, and also struggled against man-to-man, shooting 29 percent. McDowell went 2 for 12 and freshman guard Marcus Thornton 2 for 11.

It was the Tribe's defense that had Shaver frustrated early, though. Less than five minutes in, he pulled his starting five.

If he was sending a message, McDowell said it wasn't one the starters haven't heard before.

"For some reason, we can't get everybody to play well and hard all the time," he said. "We haven't done our jobs all year on defense - playing with consistency."

ODU had much to do with the Tribe's defensive hand-wringing. Nick Wright led the Monarchs with 14 points, but it was Bazemore who set the tone with 10 points and nine assists.

"Baze established early that we were going to share the ball and be smart," Taylor said.

ODU shot 62.5 percent in the first half, 51 percent for the game.

"The ball was moving around like it was in the popcorn machine, and it just led to very good shots in rhythm and it just all of a sudden became infectious," Taylor said.

It was a game ODU needed to have a chance to pull even with VCU on Saturday.

"We're definitely now a team on a mission," Bazemore said.

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