THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170619
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
In at least one gym in America, the madness of this college basketball season began in mid-November.
The team that was supposed to have no shot at beating Virginia in University Hall came within one shot of staggering their supposed betters.
But for a long rebound here, a blocked shot there, Old Dominion University might have stolen into the chilly, damp night with a victory no one would have dared believe.
While others groped for adjectives to describe the game - an occasion better suited for March than November - Odell Hodge offered his own cool assessment.
``We played the best ball we ever played as a team,'' said the ODU center.
Who could argue following ODU's 83-80 loss to a U.Va. team that was ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll and higher in other listings.
The score only hints at what took place on an evening when a basket by Hodge with 1:45 to play put ODU ahead by a point.
``You know, if they're 14th in the country, we're 13th,'' said Hodge, who scored 20 points. ``Taking into account that we played this on their court.
``All that pre-game hype. How they were going to blow us out of the gym. Blah, blah, blah.''
Puffed up by preseason punditry, U.Va. came out Wednesday night in a sassy mood.
Only November, and already a courtside observer could detect a touch of swagger in the Cavaliers.
Virginia is going to be very good this season. But when the action heated up and ODU refused to melt away, it was Cavalier senior Yuri Barnes who lost his composure, drawing a technical foul that led to two free Monarch points.
U.Va. kept coming at ODU, the Cavalier crowd roared, but the Monarchs never flinched.
``We've played in this kind of environment before,'' said Petey Sessoms, who led ODU with 21 points.
Added Mario Mullen: ``We can play with anybody in the country. It wasn't like they had better players than we do.''
The comments weren't shouted, but spoken softly, firmly.
Jeff Capel, after his first game as ODU coach, reminded everyone that ``being close is not the object of this game.''
Still, he must be delighted, if not by the final score, with the grit and cohesion of his team.
Going in, this looked like the perfect setup for U.Va.
The Cavaliers had the incentive after last season's loss to ODU at Scope.
They had the home court. And, in Cory Alexander and Harold Deane, the experienced backcourt.
And there was ODU, starting the season with a puppy point guard, a freshman by the name of Brion Dunlap.
U.Va.'s Rottweilers came hard at Dunlap and backup guard Duffy Samuels. But the kids never cracked.
Puppies grow quickly, and a game like the one he played Wednesday will do a lot for Dunlap's confidence.
``After you play against Cory Alexander, one of the best point guards in the country, you can play against anybody,'' he said.
Believing is half the battle.
``This game will make us grow as individuals and as a team,'' Hodge said.
Ultimately, the game might have turned on two long rebounds in the final minute after U.Va. missed shots that would have broken a tie. Alexander beat ODU to the second carom, and was fouled by Mullen. His two free throws gave the Cavaliers an 82-80 lead with 37 seconds.
``If we get one of those rebounds,'' said Hodge, ``we're probably celebrating right now.''
But, in a way, the Monarchs seemed to be silently celebrating.
``This was kind of a crazy game for a season opener,'' U.Va. coach Jeff Jones said.
Crazy for Virginia. Crazily exhilarating for ODU. by CNB