NORFOLK, Va. — NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — It was a night of great emotion and potential movement in the Sun Belt standings. Old Dominion just couldn't quite get over the hump again in a tight game.
Despite 26 offensive rebounds and shooting 82 times, the Monarchs couldn't get enough stops to fend off Georgia State in a 76-70 loss in their home finale.
It was a game that saw the silver and blue get numerous chances at the rim, ultimately missing 22 layups.
“Obviously, we’ve got to be better around the basket, but that effort," said ODU head coach Mike Jones, "to play that hard in front of a great crowd, I’ll ride with that effort for as long as I can.”
The night started out with a very moving senior day ceremony. RJ Blakney, Sean Durugordon, and Imo Essien were honored before tip-off but that was just the beginning of the emotional festivities.
Essien, who has missed the entire year after dealing with a flare up of an unspecified cardiovascular issue, was announced in the starting lineup for the Monarchs. Georgia State won the tip and Essien immediately fouled, and as he was subbed out of the game the crowd at Chartway Arena gave him a standing ovation that lasted nearly a minute.
"To have a connection with thousands of people that you never would've known, I consider them family," he said. "Having experiences with this community that will last forever with them, that means the world to me."
"To work all summer long and get to the first day of practice and it just gets snatched, I feel for that young man," Jones said. "You see him on the sideline, he's in guys ears, he's cheering. He's talking to the coaches, telling us what he sees. I think that was the least we could do for him. To allow him to get that one last ovation in a uniform, on a court, in a game."
With a tear in his eye, @imo_essien is in @ODU_MBB starting five.
— Zach Staton (@ZStatonSports) February 23, 2025
He's missed his senior year after a flare up of a cardiovascular issue this summer.
On senior day, he got his deserved flowers. He played just a few seconds, but perhaps the most emotional of his career. @WTKR3 pic.twitter.com/0K6I8m9v7J
As the game got underway, the Monarchs got plenty of energy plays but couldn't quite finish around the basket and left a couple of shooters open to let the Panthers take a 43-35 halftime lead.
In the second half the silver and blue kept the deficit close but couldn't quite get over the hump until a three from Robert Davis Jr. and a putback shot from Durugordon gave the Monarchs a 63-62 lead with 4:25 to play.
On the next two trips down the floor, Georgia State got buckets from Zarique Nutter to immediately grab a 66-63 advantage. They'd stretch the lead to five before a Scottie Hubbard triple pulled ODU within two with 1:40 left. They got a stop on the visitors but couldn't get a bucket, allowing the visitors to get one more offensive possession which ended with a Jelani Hamilton tip-in that ultimately put the game out of reach for Old Dominion.
"I think we were right there," Blakney said. "We were right there, neck-and-neck. It was a few possessions here or there but I'm proud of my guys for fighting."
Durugordon posted 16 points to lead the Monarchs, while Davis Jr. chipped in 13. His final three-pointer of the game broke a school single-season record for threes hit with 95.
ODU sits at 11-18 this season and 7-9 in the conference. With two road games left to play before the league tournament arrives, the Monarchs have plenty still left to play for to determine what their postseason fate looks like.
That final road swing begins by heading to Marshall on Tuesday night at 7:00.
“We have to keep working,” Jones said. “We have two road games left and we need to do everything we can to win them. There are seedings for the tournament that haven’t been decided and we’re right in the middle of that."
