THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412040231
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CARBONDALE, ILL. LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Old Dominion lost big and lost big man Odell Hodge all in the same game Saturday night at Southern Illinois.
The Salukis put a hurting on the Monarchs, 88-74, at SIU arena, matching ODU's worst loss of the last two seasons. Perhaps more disconcerting was an injury to Hodge, the Colonial Athletic Association player of the year last season. Hodge suffered a hyperextended left knee.
Hodge went down with 10:05 remaining in the first half. He was on a fast break and had just caught a long pass when he collided with Southern Illinois' Ian Stewart and crumpled to the court clutching his left knee.
He remained on the floor for about five minutes. When Hodge finally rose, he needed to be helped to the locker room.
With 3:50 to play in the first half, Hodge gingerly limped back to the bench. He had an ice pack on his knee and did not return to the game. His status is uncertain for Monday's game at Tulane.
Things only got worse for ODU (2-2). Southern Illinois (2-1), which has played in the NCAA tournament the past two seasons, led from the opening minute and led at halftime, 47-30.
The Salukis were quicker and more athletic than the Monarchs, and the quick tempo favored them. They forced ODU into 11 first-half turnovers and had a 23-17 edge on the boards as they built an insurmountable lead.
ODU made a game effort to overcome it. Southern Illinois took a 53-31 lead early in the second half, but over the next five minutes ODU increased its defensive pressure and Mario Mullen, Mike Jones and Petey Sessoms got hot.
The Monarchs cut it to 11 with 11:24 left, but when Mullen committed a foul with 10:20 to play, Sessoms spouted off and was assessed a technical. Chris Carr, who had 34 points, made the two personal foul shots and both technicals. Then the Salukis got the ball and Marcus Timmons dunked.
The six-point play put SIU on top, 70-53, and ODU got no closer than 10 the rest of the way. Sessoms and Mullen both had 21 points to lead the Monarchs, who shot 50 percent but were outrebounded 41-35. by CNB