Feb. 22, 2011

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Mace & Crown VOL. 52, ISSUE 17 | FEBURARY 25, 2011

74-63

Student newspaper of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, since 1930

www.maceandcrown.com

Kathryne Mason Mace & Crown Bazemore led the Monarchs with 18 points.

Bench catapults Monarchs to victory Bench scoring a key for a Monarchs’ win by

Jake Ullrich Staff Writer

It was Kent Bazemore’s second collegiate technical foul. He had stolen the ball and was free for an easy dunk. Bazemore did his now trademark two-handed slam and held on the rim for a second too long. The ref had no hesitation with throwing up a ‘T” and awarded the Vikings two free throw shots, shots that Norris Cole made to cut the Monarchs’ lead to one point. It should have hurt the Monarchs, it should have allowed the Vikings a chance to get back in the game, it should have silenced the crowd, but it didn’t. Instead it led to an 18-5 Old Dominion run that ultimately sealed a 74-63 victory for the Monarchs. The Vikings were led by senior Norris Cole who set a record for most points scored by an opponent in the Ted Constant Convocation center as well as most points ever in a Bracketbuster game when he finished with 35. Cole fouled out of the game with 49 seconds left with the Monarchs leading 72-63.

Unfortunately for Cole he didn’t have the supporting cast the Monarchs possess. Old Dominion outscored the Vikings 24-2 on the bench, mostly due to Keyon Carter’s 14 points and Trian Iliadis’ 8. “It’s very important [for the bench to play well],” Carter said. “Their starters did a good job matching up, especially down in the post so me and also Trian [Iliadis] it was important for us to come in and provide a spark and turn this thing around.” The Monarchs found themselves down early when Cole simply couldn’t miss. Shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc in the first half, Cole finished with 24 of the Viking’s 28 points. The Vikings biggest lead was 7, capitalized when Cole’s three-pointer rattled in, back out and then back in. “It hit the rim like three times, then hit the backboard and then went in” Kent Bazemore said after the game. “I was just like ‘Alright I guess’. He’s a heck of a player.” Coach Taylor made a few changes in the media timeout after that shot, bringing in Chris Cooper, Darius James, Trian Iliadis and Nick Wright in a hope to energize the team and crowd. The next play, Wright moved over just in time to force Viking’s guard Jeremy Montgomery into a charge, a play that awoke the 8328 fans in the

Ted and sparked the Monarchs to a 16-6 run to finish out the half. The Monarchs knew they needed to change something to slow Cole down and a switch to zone defense seemed to confuse the Vikings. “I thought our defense, as we figured out a little more about him and them, I thought we did a better job as the game wore on playing defense,” head coach Blaine Taylor said. “You can give [Cole] all the attention you want but you gotta be careful of the other four and I think we did a wonderful job on the other four. “It sounds trite but, you know, we shut him right down to 11 points in the second half.” As it with most Monarchs’ wins, the team dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Vikings 53 to 24. The Monarchs finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds, one less than the Viking’s total rebounds. The consistent second opportunities for the Monarchs led to easy baskets, as well as demoralizing the Vikings. Ben Finney finished with 13 total rebounds, eight offensive, and Frank Hassell finished with 15, seven offensive. Keyon Carter added five more to the Monarchs’ total. Starter and perhaps the Monarchs’ best post defender Chris Cooper found himself in early foul trouble and was limited to only 11 minutes. The lack of time for Cooper opened to door for

Carter, who had his best game of the season, finishing with 14 points. He was also the beneficiary of a perfect pass from Darius James to allow a monstrous dunk that sent the Ted into hysteria. Carter started the run with the dunk and finished it with a three-point shot that guaranteed the win for the Monarchs. “It’s extremely satisfying, I couldn’t think of a better game to come out and play well for not only myself but my team,” Carter said. “I wouldn’t have had a very good day if we would have let this one slip, especially to a non-conference opponent. “It’s just a sense of pride. Being in the CAA, I feel like, you know, all the quote-unquote midmajors, we’re the elite of that class.” The win boosts the Monarchs’ already impressive non-conference schedule and helps their serious contention for an at-large birth to the NCAA tournament. It was a win appreciated by the players, coaches and fans alike. The Monarchs won’t always score 74 points and many times won’t win a game when they allow a player to score 35. But today they did and, according to Bazemore, there is only one thing that matters. “Got the win, it’s all about results.”


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Feb. 22, 2011 by Mace and Crown - Issuu