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Old Dominion Gets Wire-to-Wire Win Over ULM, Advances in Conference Tournament

By Zac Capps
1:15 PM 3 min read
Old Dominion Gets Wire-to-Wire Win Over ULM, Advances in Conference Tournament
Old Dominion Gets Wire-to-Wire Win Over ULM, Advances in Conference Tournament

Old Dominion extended its season by at least a day with an 87-80 win over ULM. ODU jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire and never by less than five points outside of the first two minutes.

The Monarchs opened on a 14-0 run, forcing ULM to call a timeout. They extended the lead to 19 shortly after, and it looked like it was going to be a long night for the Warhawks. However, ULM quickly cut into the deficit, trimming it to six with just over six minutes remaining in the half. Old Dominion pushed the lead back up before the break, but the Warhawks kept the game within striking distance at 46-35.

At halftime, Old Dominion’s leading scorer on the season, KC Shaw, led the Monarchs with 11 points. Off the bench, Robert Davis Jr. and Jared Turner each hit three 3-pointers and had nine points apiece. LJ Thomas added eight. As a team, the Monarchs shot 54.5% from the field and more than 61% from three-point range.

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For the Warhawks, Krystian Lewis led all scorers with 14 points, including nine free throws. Six of the other seven players who saw the court also scored. ULM shot just 32% from the field and made four three-pointers, but going 15-for-17 from the free-throw line kept it within range.

In the second half, the Monarchs extended the lead back to 17, but once again the Warhawks battled back. With their season on the line, ULM cut the lead to single digits multiple times in the final seven minutes. With 26 seconds remaining, the Warhawks trimmed the deficit to five, which was followed by a couple of missed free throws by Old Dominion. On the ensuing possession, Lewis missed a 3-pointer that would have cut the lead to one possession, and the Monarchs were able to hang on for the 87-80 win to keep their season alive.

Shaw had one of his best games in a Monarch uniform, finishing with 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, nearly recording a triple-double. Davis and Turner each scored 15 points off the bench, while Thomas and Jordan Battle also finished in double figures. Old Dominion totaled 19 assists on 30 made shots and finished shooting 50% from the field and 65% from three-point range.

Despite making only four field goals, Lewis led the Warhawks in scoring with 27 points, going 17-for-18 from the free-throw line. Senior Lavell Brodnex added 17 points and 15 rebounds in the final game of his college career. MJ Russell shot 50% from the field and also contributed 17 points. The Warhawks stayed in the game by getting to the foul line, similar to how they beat the Monarchs in the regular season, finishing with 29 made free throws.

ULM ends its season at 4-28, going 1-18 in conference play. Despite it being Year 1 under head coach Phil Cunningham, ULM may have decisions to make after a season as difficult as this one.

Old Dominion improved to 12-20 and will take on No. 10 seed Georgia Southern on March 4.

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