Old Dominion University junior guard Trey Freeman (Virginia Beach, VA.) scored a game high 24 points to lead the Monarchs (17-4/6-3) to a come-from-behind 68-57 Conference USA victory Saturday night before a crowd of 7,453 at the Constant Center.
ODU is now 12-0 at home and have won a new Constant Center record 16 straight which ranks 13th nationally coming into to tonight.
Three Monarchs scored in double figures tonight. Joining Freeman were Richard Ross (Wichita Falls, Tx.) with 11 points and Aaron Bacote (Hampton, VA.) with 10 which gives him 993 career points.
FAU took a 30-29 lead into halftime after a layup by Marquan Botley with time running out. The Owls led by as much as five, 38-33 with 15:09 left when the Monarchs rallied with an 8-3 run thanks to a Bacote basket and two three-pointers by Trey Freeman to tie the contest at 41-41 with 13:12 left.
Freeman came back to put the Monarchs up for good at 43-41 with a layup with 12:18 left. Graduate forward Jonathan Arledge (Silver Spring, MD.) followed with a basket and senior forward Joe Ebondo (Euless, TX.) got a break-away basket along with two free throws from Bacote and the Monarchs were up 49-41 with 10:14 left.
FAU cut the lead to two, 51-49 on two Marquan free throws, but Freeman knocked down a jumper, then fed Arledge for a three-pointer to put ODU up six at 56-50 with 5:34 left. After a Massey three-pointer made it 56-53, Freeman would score four straight points followed by a Ross layup and two free throws by Bacote to put the Monarchs up 11, 64-53 with 2:02 left.
ODU finished the contest shooting .509 (28-55) from the field, while FAU shot .375 (18-48) and ODU’s defense held the Owls to just .280(7-25) in the second half. FAU edged the Monarchs on the boards, 32-31 as Kelvin Penn led with 12 and Justin Raffington had eight. Richard Ross led the Monarchs with seven rebounds, followed by Denzell Taylor and Jonathan Arledge with six each.
Freeman was 11-for-16 from the field (2-3 from beyond the arc) and dished out three assists in 35 minutes of play. He scored 16 points in the second half.
FAU had three players in double figures led by Solomon Poole with 15, Justin Massey with 11 and Marquan Botley with 10.
The Monarchs return home next Saturday against Charlotte in a Cox Communications televised contest at 7 p.m on channel 11 (1011 HD), Northern Virginia/Fairfax County 74 (1074 HD), Fredericksburg 77 (1077 in HD) and channel 9 in Roanoke .
Next Saturday is also Alumni night for ODU men’s basketball which includes the 40th anniversary of the 1975 NCAA Division II National Championship team.
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