CHARLOTTE, NC (WTKR)- A first half lead that slipped away and a comeback that fell short- that sums up Wednesday's showing for Old Dominion at Charlotte.
The Monarchs turned the ball over trailing by two in the final ten seconds, seeing a comeback attempt come up shy as the 49ers sneaked away with a 71-67 victory. The loss marks ODU's fourth straight.
Early on, things looked encouraging for the Monarchs. C.J. Keyser's three-pointer with 8:45 remaining in the first half capped off a 16-0 run and gave Old Dominion a 19-7 advantage. The silver and blue would hold their largest lead at 23-10 and be up 33-26 at the half.
The second frame saw Charlotte come to life. The 49ers used a 12-2 run to take a 47-45 lead with 10:42 to play. They would extend it to 62-52 on Aly Khalifa's jumper with 6:51 left on the clock.
The Monarchs had a rally left in them, surging back and cutting into the deficit. Jaylin Hunter knocked down a three-pointer with 2:47 left to pull Old Dominion to within a point at 66-65. After a Charlotte response, a Keyser jump shot got the Monarchs back to within one.
That set the stage for the finish. Trailing 69-67 and inbounding the ball, Hunter looked for Austin Trice under the basket, but the inbounds pass was stolen by Charlotte. Musa Jallow would knock down two free throws to lock up the win for the home team.
Keyser led the way for ODU in the losing effort with 20 points, while Austin Trice chipped in 15 points and 14 rebounds. Mekhi Long scored 12 points and Hunter added 11 points to round out the Monarchs in double figures. Charlotte's Jahmir Young led all scorers with 21 points.
There were a handful of bright spots for Old Dominion in the loss. The Monarchs connected on seven of their 12 attempts from beyond the arc (58 percent) and out-rebounded the 49ers, 44-28, holding Charlotte to just three offensive boards.
The same two teams will meet again on Saturday night, this time at Chartway Arena. Tip off is set for 7:00 PM.
