THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 23, 1994 TAG: 9412230659
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: SEATTLE LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
For the second consecutive game, a second-half sputter left Old Dominion's basketball team stranded by the side of the road Thursday night. The Monarchs lost to Washington at the Kingdome, 71-61, after leading by eight with 13 minutes to play.
What happened to ODU (5-5) at that point was similar to five days ago at Hawaii, where the Monarchs went 10 minutes, 23 seconds without a field goal to fritter away a 10-point lead.
``We're like an eight-cylinder engine running on four cylinders,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said on his postgame radio show Thursday.
Old Dominion led, 43-35, but an 11-2 run put Washington (2-3) up by a point with 7:37 to play.
ODU came back to regain the lead, 54-51, following a Petey Sessoms field goal and foul shot with about five minutes to play.
But the Huskies then scored 11 consecutive points and made six consecutive shots and 7 of 8 free throws in a 20-7 closing run. Two of ODU's baskets during that stretch came in the final 30 seconds.
Washington shot 61 percent in the second half, compared to ODU's 30 percent in the final 20 minutes.
Mike Jones led the Monarchs with 22 points, while Mario Mullen added 16. Sessoms scored a season-low 13 after having 10 points at halftime. Jason Hartman led Washington off the bench with 20 points.
ODU will take a Christmas break before preparing to meet top-ranked North Carolina Thursday before a sold-out crowd at Scope. by CNB