The Old Dominion Monarchs men’s basketball team made a remarkable post-season run, which finally came to an end on Saturday as they fell short to the Troy Trojans, 75-59, in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The loss ended a four-game stretch for the Monarchs, who defied expectations and made an impressive run to the quarterfinals. The Trojans live to see another round as the Monarchs closed their season with a record of 15-20.
“We weren’t surprised that we were here, winning three games in three days. We believed in ourselves and in each other,” said ODU sophmore guard, Robert Davis Jr.
Despite their loss, ODU’s unexpected run to the quarterfinals is a testament to their resilience as many people counted them out. The Monarchs came into the game backed by three consecutive wins in the tournament, including victories over LA-Lafayette, Texas State, and Appalachian State. It was evident that the team was struggling with fatigue after playing four games in just four days. On the other hand, Troy had a significant advantage coming into this game, having last played on February 28th, which gave them several extra days to rest and prepare. Despite their efforts, the ODU team was outmatched by a much fresher Trojans team.
Both teams started off with high energy but Troy quickly took control, utilizing their depth. The Trojans were able to wear down the Monarchs, capitalizing on their fresher legs. Old Dominion managed to keep the game close early on with strong efforts from key players. R.J. Blakney led the Monarchs in scoring with 20 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. Sean Durugordon added 14 points and 16 rebounds to ODU’s efforts, recording a double-double.
Troy’s scoring was led by Tayton Conerway who finished with 18 points, shooting 7-15 from the field. Myles Rigby followed close behind with a total of 17 points and a team-high of 8 rebounds. The Trojans’ well-rounded offensive and defensive pressure proved to be too much for the Monarchs. They were able to force ODU into 11 turnovers, helping to extend their lead.
The Trojans’ fast-paced play eventually took its toll on the Monarchs. Their intensity on defense limited ODU’s shooting opportunities, forcing them into tough shots. As the game went on, the Trojans capitalized on these mistakes, building a lead that was hard for the fatigued Monarchs to come back from. The game ended in a 75-59 Trojan victory, knocking ODU out of the tournament. The Trojans will face James Madison University on Sunday, March 9, for the Sun Belt Conference semifinals.
March 23, 2025 at 3:51 am
Hey, I really enjoyed reading your game report! I thought you put this together very well and organized great all around. I like how you summarized the previous games that the Monarchs Basketball team had played to get to the point where they were at against the Troy Trojans. Going into the Game summary you made it very easy to comprehend and understand. If someone read your game summary that had no clue how basketball works, they wouldn’t have a hard time understanding at all, so I think you did a really good job.