The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994            TAG: 9411100787
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                            LENGTH: Short :   44 lines

MONARCHS EDGE CROATIA IN OT

Say this about Old Dominion: the Monarchs are working overtime to get ready for the basketball season.

For the second time in two exhibition games, ODU went into overtime to determine the outcome of a meaningless game, winning 95-94 over Croatia. Meaningless, yes, but also fairly entertaining as the teams were separated by no more than a basket or two most of the game.

And fairly satisfying for ODU, which opens the regular season next Wednesday at Virginia in the Preseason NIT.

Including the five games the Monarchs played on an August tour of France, it was their seventh exhibition game under new coach Jeff Capel. It was their first win.

``It's good to be on this side of the fence for a change,'' Capel said.

``I'm sure in the back of coach's mind, he felt a little pressure about it,'' said ODU senior forward Petey Sessoms, who led the Monarchs with 29 points. ``Now I think we're ready for the season, but you never can be too confident.''

Old Dominion's coaches weren't confident enough about their interior depth to stick with a decision made last week to redshirt junior center Derrick Parker. Parker, who played briefly in the exhibition game Wednesday after sitting out last Saturday, will be part of ODU's rotation.

Inside depth was one of Croatia's many impressive attributes. Old Dominion center Odell Hodge managed 14 points and 10 rebounds while playing mostly against 29-year-old Franjo Arapovic, a physical 7-foot-1 center.

``It was good for me to play against a big boy,'' Hodge said.

Like Sessoms, Mike Jones put up big numbers with 28 points, including a driving shot off the glass with 12 seconds left in overtime that gave ODU the win. Junior college transfer Duffy Samuels started at point guard and made all four field goal tries and had three assists. Capel said he hasn't decided whether Samuels or Brion Dunlap will start Wednesday at Virginia, but both will likely share time. by CNB