BIG DUNK AT BIG TIME
Caver’s heady pass, Dickens’ timely jam put Monarchs over .500 in C-USA
NORFOLK — Ahmad Caver was drawing attention.
All night, Louisiana Tech had been paying special mind to Old Dominion’s senior point guard, an All-Conference USA pick last season and a priority on any team’s scouting report.
So when Caver pushed the ball upcourt Thursday night, with time running out and the Monarchs down one to Louisiana Tech, he knew what to expect.
Dajour Dickens, lurking in the “short” corner on the baseline, would be open.
Dickens was. Caver found him as Dickens flashed to the basket and sent home a resounding dunk with 18 seconds left that lifted the Monarchs to a 64-63 win at the Constant Center.
It was one of several highlight-worthy slams for the 7-foot sophomore from Bethel High, who had a breakout game with 14 points, five rebounds and four blocks in 30 minutes.
“The whole game, the whole team was coming to me when I attacked,” Caver said. “I knew it was going to be open right when I got the ball, so I just made the play.”
ODU (13-5, 3-2 Conference USA) made
one more than the visitors from Ruston, La., who will travel no farther for a conference game, and apparently figured, as long as they were here, that they might as well take up residence at the free-throw line.
The Bulldogs (13-6, 3-3) shot 25 free throws, but missed their last four.
Still, a 3-pointer by Amorie Archibald put Louisiana Tech up a point with 51 seconds left.
Archibald missed the front end of a one-and-one freethrow opportunity with 26 ticks remaining, setting up ODU's winning play.
Dickens stepped back to give Caver a driving lane, then pounced.
“That's kind of our favorite little thing we've got going,” Dickens said. “That little dropoff.”
Archibald missed a 3-pointer with nine seconds left. ODU's B.J. Stith corralled the ball, but was tied up. The officials ruled it a held ball and gave the Bulldogs possession with just four-tenths of a second left.
It was unclear if Archibald got a 3-point attempt off before the clock expired, but in any case, it missed, and ODU could exhale.
“We didn't play poorly, but we didn't play close to our best and we just kind of hung in there and got the win,” coach Jeff Jones said.
Stith led ODU with 16 points. Caver had 13 and Williamsburg's Xavier Green 12.
Dickens and Justice Kithcart, who has played more after an injury to guard Marquis Godwin, continued to emerge as contributors. Kithcart shot just 2 of 7, but both baskets were 3-pointers. He finished with six points and four assists.
“The young guys ... they're getting some valuable experience,” Jones said. “I think that's important because it seems like the way Conference USA is going, there's going to be a whole lot of these close games.”
Dickens' bucket was his second straight game-winner. He tipped in a Caver miss Saturday with a second left at Florida International for a 75-74 ODU win.
Louisiana Tech lived up to its reputation as a spread-anddrive team, with point guard DaQuan Bracey running the show. He had 14 points and seven assists. Archibald led the Bulldogs with 16 points.
"It was a great Conference USA game," coach Eric Konkol said. "We can look at a lot of different things we'd like to have again, from the free-throw line, to a shot here and there, but you've got to give Old Dominion a lot of credit for their grittiness and coming away with the win."
The Monarchs have relied on grit, as much as execution, the past two games, Jones said.
"I'd like to see us elevate our play. I think we can play better," he said. "If you're struggling a little bit, you've got to keep grinding, and that's what our guys did tonight."