THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150501
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FAIRFAX LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Old Dominion center Odell Hodge takes a fair amount of good-natured ribbing for his lack of leaping ability, and to his credit he's never claimed to be an elevator man.
But even the vertically challenged Hodge holds this truth to be self-evident: ``You shoot the ball around my face and I'm going to have to block it,'' he said. ``That's just the way it is.''
Hodge did just that Wednesday night, swatting a shot by George Mason's 6-foot-8 George Redd to preserve a 93-92 overtime win for the Monarchs in front of 2,804 at the Patriot Center.
Redd pulled up for an 8-footer with one second remaining and Hodge blocked it cleanly, allowing the Monarchs to escape with their 18th win in 19 tries against George Mason.
This one wasn't nearly as easy as the 103-86 drubbing ODU hung on the Patriots at Scope Jan. 17. ODU (14-11 overall, 9-3 Colonial Athletic Association) let a nine-point second-half lead slip away and had to come from behind to force overtime.
``This game had me worried all week long,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``This is a tough place to come in and play, and they've been playing well lately.''
George Mason (10-13, 5-8) had won two in a row but got caught in a game it couldn't win Wednesday: a battle of attrition inside.
The Monarch's beefy tandem of Hodge and Joe Bunn combined for just 11 first-half points, as Mark Poag opened the game by draining three 3-pointers, and it appeared ODU could have its pick of shots from behind tha arc.
But GMU's defense tightened and ODU's guards began the second half with instructions to punch the ball inside. Hodge - who took just two shots in the first half - scored the first eight points of the second half for the Monarchs, and finished with 18. Bunn had a team-high 27, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
``It was our plan to go inside (early) but the outside shooters started hot so we went with them,'' Capel said. In the second half ``we made a concerted effort - even though they were playing zone - to not settle for the perimeter shot. We have to get the ball inside if we want to win.''
The plan began taking its toll on George Mason, a team that has lost five players for various reasons this year and is down to a rotation of seven. Forward Kenwan Alford fouled out with 5:59 left in regulation. Center Michael Sharp fouled out at the 2:46 mark.
``When we lost Kenwan that was tough,'' GMU coach Paul Westhead said. ``He is the backbone of our team.''
If Alford is the backbone, point guard Curtis McCants is the heart. The ultra-quick McCants finished with 27 points and 12 assists, and repeatedly hurt the Monarchs with penetrating moves to the basket.
McCants and Redd carried the Patriots after Alford fouled out, combining for the final eight points in regulation. McCants had a chance to put the Patriots in position to win the game in regulation, but missed a three-pointer over ODU's Duffy Samuels with 40 seconds left.
Bunn rebounded and ODU called timeout. GMU kicked the ball out of bounds with 14.6 seconds left and ODU had one last chance to win it, but Samuels missed a foul-line jumper with time running down.
Bunn and Hodge combined to score ODU's first seven points in overtime, and the Monarchs led 92-89 with 1:25 left.
McCants made a free throw with 1:13 left, then tied the game with a running shot in the lane with 22 seconds left.
ODU played for a final shot, and ran the clock to 5.1 seconds before E.J. Sherod was fouled. Sherod hit one of two to provide the margin of victory.
Redd finished with 25 points, many of them on quick moves around Hodge.
``I don't think he saw me,'' Hodge said of Redd on the final play. ``He put the ball right in my face to block it.'' by CNB