THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 17, 1994 TAG: 9408170559
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LA MOTTE-SERVOLEX, FRANCE LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Old Dominion's basketball team went from playing in a bull ring one night to playing bullies the next.
The Monarchs' record on their French tour dropped to 0-3 as they lost to another of France's pro teams Tuesday, 98-91.
The game almost ended before halftime, however, when a skirmish broke out between Lyon player Hughes Occansey and Old Dominion's Mike Jones.
The way ODU coach Jeff Capel saw it, Jones was working for position against Occansey when the Frenchman threw a forearm shiver at Jones' chest.
Jones looked at Occansey, who then dropped ODU's senior to the floor with an elbow to the face.
``I was trying to get to where I'm supposed to be on the floor and he elbowed me in the side of the cheek and then started pushing me,'' Jones said.
Jones got up, and Occansey menacingly shook his finger in Jones' face. That brought Capel onto the court to try to break it up, and a few other minor pushes ensued involving various players from both sides.
For several minutes officials, players and coaches sorted out what had happened - Occanasey was called for an intentional foul - and the Monarch coaches discussed pulling their team off the floor.
Lyon's Americans, Mark Hughes and Irving Thomas, urged Capel not to do so because the near-capacity crowd of 1,000 might not take kindly to it.
``I'm not going to jeopardize the safety of my players for an exhibition game,'' Capel said.
``That's what I was trying to get their players and coach to understand - this is an exhibition game, it's not for the European Cup. That guy taking a swing at Mike was uncalled for.''
The game was physical throughout, which the Monarchs have come to expect here against the pro teams.
``It's real hard for a team like us used to American officials and then we come over here and there are moving screens and every screen you try to fight through you get elbowed,'' said Mark Johnson, who scored 14 points.
Petey Sessoms led the Monarchs with 27, Jones had 14 and David Harvey scored 12 and grabbed seven rebounds.
For the second consecutive night, Odell Hodge (two points, one rebound) and Mario Mullen (nine points, five rebounds) spent enormous chunks of time on the bench in foul trouble.
Both eventually fouled out.
For the third consecutive game, it was the opponent's American players who did the most damage.
Former Florida State player Thomas had 27 points and 13 rebounds while former Michigan player Hughes scored 22 points.
Old Dominion led by 10 points with 8:10 to play but couldn't hold on as Lyon went on a 20-5 run over the next 3 1/2 minutes.
Capel said the officiating, which he called ``terrible,'' contributed.
``We've improved every game,'' Capel said. ``We're playing against men over here, but tonight we outplayed them.
``We just lost our composure for three or four minutes.''
ODU plays its fourth game in five days tonight against Dijon in Dijon.
The Monarchs may have to play it with just eight men in uniform. Point guard E.J. Sherod suffered a slight ankle sprain Monday, and on Tuesday he sustained a minor hip pointer and may be held out tonight.
OLD DOMINION: Sessoms 8-13 5-7 27, Harvey 5-6 2-5 12, Sherod 3-6 3-4 9, Robinson 1-2 0-0 2, Johnson 5-8 2-2 15, Mullen 4-5 1-1 9, Hodge 1-3 0-0 2, Jones 3-6 8-13 14, Parker 0-3 0-2 0. Totals 30-52 21-34 91.
LYON: Gayard 0-0 0-0 0, Pascal 0-0 1-2 1, E. Occansey 3-7 10-12 17, Toupane 4-8 3-4 12, H. Occansey 2-6 3-4 7, Racine 2-4 0-0 4, Monetti 2-4 4-4 8, Thomas 10-15 7-7 27, Hughes 9-11 4-5 22. Totals 32-55 32-38 98.
Halftime: ODU 47-44. 3-pointers: ODU 9-19 (Sessoms 6-11, Johnson 3-6, Jones 0-2), Lyon 2-9 (E. Occansey 1-1, Toupane 1-4, H. Occansey 0-1, Racine 0-3). Rebounds: ODU 25 (Harvey 7), Lyon 30 (Thomas 13). Assists: ODU 14 (Sherod 4), Lyon 15 (Thomas 6). Turnovers: ODU 22, Lyon 23. Total fouls: ODU 31, Lyon 24. Fouled out: Mullen, Hodge. Att: 1,000. by CNB