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MARSHALL SPORTS
MU falls on road at Old Dominion
NORFOLK, Va. -- Senior Gerald Lee scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to lead the Old Dominion men's basketball team past Marshall, 70-62, Saturday night in front of 7,141 fans at Ted Constant Convocation Center.
For the Monarchs, it was their fourth straight win, but their closest call as well. They had won their first three by 30 or more points.
"I told Gerald he needed to be at his best when we need him," Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor said. "Not in a 30-point blowout, but when it's time to ride the horse."
"I didn't play my best game in the first half," Lee said. "I came out and tried to play harder."
Lee wasn't the Thundering Herd's only problem. The more-experienced Monarchs won the board battle, 40-26, and that led to a 19-2 edge in second-chance points.
"A lot of points in the paint. You can't win games like that," said Damier Pitts, who led the Herd with 14 points. "We had energy early, but faded out. Hustle plays."
Old Dominion, the favorite to win the Colonial Athletic Association title, led 28-21 at the half and pushed the advantage to 16 several times in the second half. The Herd (2-1) would make runs, only to see the home team counter.
"We came out with a lot of energy," the Herd's Tyler Wilkerson said. "Those guys made some tough shots. We knew they'd crash the boards. We'd play good defense 30 seconds, they'd shoot and get the rebound. We didn't keep them of f the glass."
Marshall coach Donnie Jones said the Monarchs, especially their front court, are one of the best teams the Herd will see.
"That's as good a front court as we've played against since I've been at Marshall," Jones said. "They're a good, experienced team. We understand now what level we have to be at to compete."
Lee was one of four ODU players in double figures. Frank Hassell had 13, Marsharee Neely 11 and Ben Finney 10.
"It's good to play a team like Old Dominion. They're a great measuring stick," Jones said. "We beat them last year and they grew from that. It's our turn now."
Taylor said Lee made the right adjustments in the second half.
"He had to adjust and be more aggressive," Taylor said. "We're not a one-man team. He gets a lot of attention. You just can't focus on him."
ODU's Kent Bazemore said this win helped make up for the close loss a year ago in Huntington.
"We came in with a chip on our shoulder," he said. "They beat us last year. This is a stepping stone to see where we are. We're in a good spot."
In the first half, Marshall had the lead most of the way. The Herd went up 16-14 when Hassan Whiteside connected on a turnaround jumper along the baseline.
ODU's Lee followed with a basket in the paint to tie the game, then Neely converted a layup off a steal to give the Monarchs their first lead at 18-16. Ben Finney hit a runner down the lane to make it 20-16.
Marshall responded with a 3-pointer from the wing by Cam Miller to cut it to 20-19. The Monarchs, with the home crowd up, ran off six straight points for a 26-19 lead with 3:51 left. That prompted a Marshall timeout.
Whiteside got Marshall's last basket of the half to cut the deficit to 26-21 only to see ODU's Keyon Carter counter with a basket to make it 28-21 at the break. Whiteside did go to the line with 7.3 seconds left, but missed both shots.
"We'd hit some home runs early and we got anxious," Taylor said. "We swing at the first pitch. We got more settled down in our decision making. Smart offense, good defense."
The Herd's next game is Wednesday at home against Lamar. The tape from this contest will be put to good use between now and then.
"Their experience is a factor," Jones said, noting Lee is a senior compared to Hassan Whiteside, a Herd freshman three games into his career. "He (Hassan) learned a lot tonight. The difference in the game was points in the paint.
"This was a good lesson. We hung in there, but couldn't get it under 10. We kept battling. We didn't tuck our heads when we could have. We've competed to the end."
Wilkerson agreed with his coach.
"We'll watch the film and see all the things we did wrong," he said. "ODU played a good game. Give them credit. We have to come back Wednesday and be ready to play."
