Home proves sweet for ODU
W&M’s sizzling shooting doesn’t keep Monarchs from gaining first win
NORFOLK — In a season of perpetual fluidity, Old Dominion continued to adjust Saturday night.
The Monarchs were rewarded with a triumphant return to their quiet home court.
Malik Curry scored 24 points and ODU held off a hot-shooting opponent in an 86-78 win over William & Mary at Chartway Arena.
Playing in the school’s first hosted athletic event in 262 days, the Monarchs (1-1) shot 50.8% from the floor and won despite the Tribe’s 12-for-24 effort from 3-point range.
Playing in a nearly empty arena due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Monarchs rebounded from Wednesday’s season-opening 85-67 loss at Maryland.
Simply making it to the hardwood was half the battle for a team whose world has been reduced to the point that it isn’t even using student managers.
“People talk about accountability a lot in athletics,” ODU coach Jeff Jones said. “Well, accountability’s big right now. Accountability isn’t just being in the right spot on your defensive rotation. Accountability is making sure that we’re wearing the masks, that we’re not associating with people kind of outside
our pod.”
Connor Kochera scored 19 points for William & Mary (0-1), which trailed 83-76 with 32 seconds to play. A Curry layup and a free throw by Kalu Ezikpe with a second left helped ODU pull away.
The Monarchs, playing the Tribe for the 92nd time, overcame a seven-point deficit midway through the first half to take a 39-32 halftime lead.
The victory came on the heels of a virus-shortened 2019-20 postseason and a strange, abbreviated preseason, both of which have contributed to team bonding.
“Us getting basketball taken away from us last year, it just made us closer together,” Curry said. “We know that this could be gone tomorrow. If they put us back in lockdown, this could be gone tomorrow. So we’ve just got to cherish every moment that we have playing basketball together.”
A.J. Oliver scored 19 points for the Monarchs, and Joe Reece added 13.
ODU led by as many as 15 and stayed ahead after the 5:59 mark in the first half.
With a newly revamped offense designed to keep defenders on the run, the Monarchs scored more points than they scored in any game last season.
“I thought we did some good things out there tonight,” Jones
said. “We couldn’t sustain those good things, and every time I thought we had some letdowns, William & Mary just fought right back into it once we took the lead. But we’re happy to get the win.”
Few were there to see it. Capacity, thanks to the virus, was limited to 250.
Curry, who transferred from Palm Beach State in Florida, said the flat atmosphere is no excuse for a letdown.
“At the end of the day, it’s still basketball,” he said. “You’ve got to bring your own energy and play the game that you love to play.”
There’s little time to savor the win; ODU visits Norfolk State on Wednesday for the first time in 52 years.
“That’s going to be another big one, another emotional contest,” Jones said. “I’m sure that’s going to be a high-intensity, really emotional game.”
ODU 86, W&M 78
WILLIAM & MARY (0-1): Kochera 6-9 1-2 19, Loewe 5-9 4-5 16, Covington 3-11 7-8 13, Blair 4-11 0-1 9, Wight 0-1 0-0 0, Harvey 4-5 0-0 8, Ayesa 2-4 0-0 5, Stone 2-2 0-1 5, Milkereit 1-1 0-0 3, Hermanovskis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-53 12-17 78.
OLD DOMINION (1-1): Curry 9-15 6-8 24, Oliver 7-15 2-2 19, Reece 5-7 2-3 13, Ezikpe 3-5 1-3 7, Green 1-5 2-2 4, Hunter 3-6 2-2 11, Trice 2-6 0-0 4, Pilavios 1-1 0-0 2, Strother 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 32-63 15-20 86.
Half—ODU 39-32. 3-point goals—W&M 12-24 (Kochera 6-7, Loewe 2-4, Covington 0-3, Blair 1-4, Wight 0-1, Ayesa 1-3, Stone 1-1, Milkereit 1-1), ODU 7-16 (Oliver 3-8, Reece 1-1, Green 0-1, Hunter 3-4, Strother 0-2). Fouled out—Kochera, Green. Rebounds—W&M 31 (Blair 10), ODU 34 (Ezikpe 6). Assists—W&M 18 (Loewe 10), ODU 20 (Curry 6). Fouls—W&M 21, ODU 16. A—250.