Dominion domination: ODU returns the favor with 70-59 win over Rams

Adam Stern
Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times Sports’ Twitter

Following VCU’s commanding, comprehensive victory over Old Dominion three weeks ago, Monarch big man Frank Hassell spoke of how he relished revenge.

Hassell – a 6-foot-9-inch, 255-pound senior forward that serves as the fulcrum of ODU’s slow-it-down, pound-it-in style of play – just saw his team outrebounded on their home floor even though they’ve been one of the top-three rebounding teams in the nation all season. The loss meant they dropped their first conference game of the season at home after starting off 3-0.

And to add insult to injury, that loss was against the Rams, ODU’s arch-enemy in a series that continues to be a ceaseless sellout – not to mention compelling drama – no matter the city or venue.

Flash forward to Saturday, and Hassell and his monstrous Monarch teammates looked every bit the the part of a dedicated and driven team as they led from wire to wire in a 70-59 thumping of VCU in front of a sellout crowd of 7,552 at the Siegel Center.

The loss ends VCU’s 22-game active home winning streak, which dated back to last January and was good enough for fourth in the nation heading into this weekend’s play.

“Mostly really just hitting them first,” Hassell said when asked how the team had dominated. “Down in Norfolk they were really the aggressors, and up here we were really looking forward to banging them and going to get the blocks and get the ball early.”

When pressed for more, Hassell didn’t disappoint.

“We was pretty motivated; we don’t like losing at the Ted [Constant Convocation Center] too often,” Hassell said. “It’s a good rivalry and wanted to get them back at their court.”

That they did.

ODU outrebounded VCU 46-21. Even with the Monarchs propensity to outrebound teams and the Rams’ lack thereof, that statistic sticks out like a sore thumb.

VCU senior forward Jamie Skeen said of the stat, “That’s just ridiculous.”

Indeed Skeen was still searching for answers himself.

“That’s a good question; we’re trying to figure it out,” Skeen said calmly when asked about how such a disparity could transpire.

VCU second-year head coach Shaka Smart – who, with the loss, experienced an almost unfelt feeling of a loss at home for just the second time since he came to the school – had answers.

“There are a lot of reasons,” Smart said.” “No. 1, ODU is the second best rebounding team in the country and No. 2, we weren’t aggressive enough; we didn’t match their physicality.”

Another startling – yet telling – statistic: ODU outscored VCU in the paint 46-18.

And with the Monarch’s zone defense, VCU was essentially dared to shoot from distance. The Rams, a team that takes and usually makes a lot of 3-pointers, couldn’t find their shooting stroke Saturday.

“They had us on our heels,” senior point guard Joey Rodriguez said. “It was hard to get the ball down there to Skeen, but yeah they played (the zone) the whole game and we didn’t make shots.”

In terms of their first-place aspirations heading into the CAA Tournament, the Rams will get an instant instance of reprieve if they can beat George Mason Tuesday night at the Siegel Center. The Patriots defeated James Madison Saturday to take sole possession of first place, but if VCU can defeat them when they meet for their one and only game of the regular season the Rams will be back with a share of the lead.

Until then, the Rams will look to regroup and rekindle the urgency that Hassell and his Monarch teammates exhibited Saturday.

“They beat us on effort plays and you can control that and today we didn’t,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what hurts the most.”

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Photo by: Kyle Laferriere