The Racers lost their second consecutive road game Friday night in Norfolk, Va., as Old Dominion defeated Murray State 70-60, dropping Head Coach Steve Prohm’s team to 1-2 on the early season.
In his post-game radio comments, Prohm vented his frustration.
“I’m really disappointed and frustrated right now,” Prohm said. “It’s just not where we need to be. I thought this was a game we needed to win.”
The Racers finished the first half strong, outscoring the Monarchs 16-8 in the final 5:28 to take a 7-point lead into the locker room.
It was an entirely different story after the break, however, as the Monarchs quickly erased the deficit. Old Dominion never looked back as missed free throws, turnovers and poor rebounding plagued the Racers for the duration of the game.
Freshman guard Cameron Payne also shared his thoughts on the radio after the game.
“The defense just wasn’t there like it was in the first half,” Payne said. “We started missing shots on the offense and it was getting to us. They were making shots and their run came and they kept it alive. I feel like we’ve got to be able to stop those drives.”
The Racers had one of the poorest free throw shooting nights in recent history, making just seven of 18 from the stripe. Murray State also struggled rebounding the ball, giving up 14 offensive rebounds while pulling down just seven. As a result, Old Dominion piled up 13 second-chance points to the Racers’ two.
Payne led the team with 17 points, while also chipping in five assists in 30 minutes of play. Junior forward Jarvis Williams grabbed his second double-double of the season, leading the team with 12 rebounds and 10 points. Williams struggled from the free throw line, however, making just two of eight.
Sophomore Jeffery Moss added 11 points in 33 minutes and senior Dexter Fields scored 10, though he hit only two of seven from 3-point range.
The Racers return home Tuesday night to take on NAIA Bethel. The Racers then make another tough road trip next weekend as they travel to Auburn, Ala., Saturday to take on the Auburn Tigers of the SEC.
Murray State and Bethel tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the CFSB Center.
Story by Jonathan Ferris, Staff writer