THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050574
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
PHILADELPHIA - Old Dominion embarrassed itself Wednesday during the first 30 minutes of a basketball game at St. Joseph's.
Then the Monarchs started to play, but couldn't overcome in 10 minutes damage wrought most of the evening. St. Joseph's handed ODU its fourth consecutive loss, a 92-82 setback before 3,200 at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
It could have been worse - much worse.
With 12:26 to play, the Monarchs (5-7) trailed by 27. With 10:41 left, they were still down by 25.
``I think our guys really got to the point where it was embarrassing and decided to make a stand,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``We've got to figure out a way to start games with that attitude and not wait until something terrible happens, like getting down by 27 points.''
The Monarchs trimmed that 71-46 margin with 10:41 left to 76-64 with 3:49 to play. But ODU - which was hampered by making just 3 of 13 field goal tries during one stretch of the comeback bid - got no closer than 10.
``They were a pesky team,'' said St. Joseph's guard Bernard Blunt, who surpassed the Hawks' career scoring mark Wednesday. ``They didn't quit. But I never felt the game was in jeopardy.''
Blunt, with 17 points and 10 rebounds, was one of three St. Joseph's players with a double-double. The others were forwards Reggie Townsend (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Carlin Warley (10 points, 16 rebounds). Guard Mark Bass also scored 18.
The Hawks (5-2) destroyed Old Dominion on the glass (53-26 advantage, the largest against ODU in at least two seasons) and dominated the interior play on both ends of the floor with superior girth and tenacity.
St. Joseph's, which came in shooting 38.4 percent from the field, made 46 percent. The Hawks repeatedly got good shots from close range.
``Every time we play somebody that doesn't shoot well, they shoot well against us,'' Capel said. ``Maybe it's because we're not a good defensive team. I would hate to think that.''
The Monarchs' defense wasn't good early as St. Joseph's went on a 17-0 run producing a 24-6 lead just over eight minutes into the game. The Hawks' lead was in double digits the game's final 35 minutes.
ODU has lost all six of its road games this season and is 0-6 when it is outrebounded.
``There's just something about road games,'' said forward Petey Sessoms, who led all scorers with 29 points. ``It's hard to get a spark going.
``It's got a lot to do with us mentally. Every road game we start out flat, dig a hole for ourselves and try to fight back at the end. We've got to find out some kind of way to come out with the hustle and effort we had this game at the end.''
How do they do that?
``If I knew what it was, I'd damn-sure do something about it,'' Capel said.
Capel tried. He used every combination of players imaginable in the second half. At one point he sent five reserves in for the starters that were floundering on the court. And he got his first technical as the Monarchs' coach - the first he's had in a couple years, Capel said - arguing for a foul call.
But he could not go up and grab a rebound or make a shot - and neither could many of his players. ODU shot 37.3 percent from the field and launched a school-record 32 3-point attempts, hitting 12. All eight of Sessoms' field goals were 3-pointers. Mike Jones added 18 points (5-of-15 shooting) and a team-high six rebounds, while Mario Mullen scored 15.
``We put ourselves in a hole,'' Mullen said. ``It was embarrassing, because we know we're a better team than that.''
The Monarchs face an even better team than St. Joseph's Saturday at No. 15 Arizona State. It is ODU's final game before Colonial Athletic Association play. If the Monarchs can't beat the Sun Devils, they will suffer their first five-game losing streak since 1990-91, Tom Young's final season as coach. by CNB