<p class="style4">NORFOLK, Va. – Senior Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C.) scored 22 points and sophomore Larry Sanders booked a double-double, but Virginia Commonwealth University had Old Dominion slip through its fingers in a 69-65 loss before 8,424 Saturday at the Constant Convocation Center.
<p class="style4">The Monarchs’ Gerald Lee scored nine of his 18 points during a critical stretch late in the second half. His final jumper gave ODU (16-9, 9-6 CAA) a 59-57 it would not relinquish with 2:25 remaining. Following a pair of Darius James’ free throws that extended the margin to four, Lee drove and lane and kicked to Ben Finney in the corner for a 3-pointer with 1:25 on the clock. The Rams (18-8, 11-4 CAA) would never recover.
<p class="style4">Finney added 16 points and five rebounds, while Frank Hassell chipped in with 10 points and six boards for Old Dominion.
<p class="style4">Sanders finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for VCU. FreshmanBradford Burgess (Midlothian, Va.) scored 16 points and hit 4-of-5 3-point attempts.
<p class="style4">The Monarchs out rebounded the Rams, 43-37, and outscored VCU, 35-20, in the paint. ODU grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.
<p class="style4">“I told the guys after the game, our first shot defense was very good, our second shot defense cost us the game,” Commented VCU Head Coach Anthony Grant.
<p class="style4">The Rams opened the second half with a 14-0 blitz, sparked by a Burgess 3-pointer and capped by a three-point play by junior T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C.), to pull ahead, 42-37.
<p class="style4">However, Lee dropped back-to-back layups for ODU during a 7-0 burst to tie the score at 42-42 with 12:52 remaining.
<span class="style4">VCU returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 18 when it hosts Delaware at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 7 p.m.</span>
<p class="style4">The Monarchs’ Gerald Lee scored nine of his 18 points during a critical stretch late in the second half. His final jumper gave ODU (16-9, 9-6 CAA) a 59-57 it would not relinquish with 2:25 remaining. Following a pair of Darius James’ free throws that extended the margin to four, Lee drove and lane and kicked to Ben Finney in the corner for a 3-pointer with 1:25 on the clock. The Rams (18-8, 11-4 CAA) would never recover.
<p class="style4">Finney added 16 points and five rebounds, while Frank Hassell chipped in with 10 points and six boards for Old Dominion.
<p class="style4">Sanders finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for VCU. FreshmanBradford Burgess (Midlothian, Va.) scored 16 points and hit 4-of-5 3-point attempts.
<p class="style4">The Monarchs out rebounded the Rams, 43-37, and outscored VCU, 35-20, in the paint. ODU grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.
<p class="style4">“I told the guys after the game, our first shot defense was very good, our second shot defense cost us the game,” Commented VCU Head Coach Anthony Grant.
<p class="style4">The Rams opened the second half with a 14-0 blitz, sparked by a Burgess 3-pointer and capped by a three-point play by junior T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C.), to pull ahead, 42-37.
<p class="style4">However, Lee dropped back-to-back layups for ODU during a 7-0 burst to tie the score at 42-42 with 12:52 remaining.
<span class="style4">VCU returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 18 when it hosts Delaware at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 7 p.m.</span>
