NCAA News Wire
Old Dominion 72, North Texas 62
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
DENTON, Texas — Old Dominion Monarchs guard Ambrose Mosley scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, including 11 in a row during a crucial run of a 72-62 Conference USA victory Thursday over the host North Texas Mean Green.
Mosley hit three 3-pointers and two free throws during an 11-1 surge late in the second half that gave the Monarchs a lead they would not relinquish.
Old Dominion burned North Texas’ zone by hitting 59 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Monarchs shooters hit 13-of-22 3-point attempts. Mosley hit five of his seven tries.
Guard Aaron Bacote added 20 points for the Monarchs, who improved to 6-4 in the conference and 12-13 overall.
Guards Alzee Williams and Chris Jones each had 13 for North Texas, which fell for a fifth consecutive game.
The Mean Green shot 33 percent while falling to 2-8 and 11-13.
Old Dominion trailed by five when Mosley started his run at the 6:49 mark. After two made free throws, the Monarchs held a 56-51 lead.
The Monarchs withstood a 6-0 North Texas run and closed the first half with a 10-4 run of their own to take the last of five first-half lead changes into intermission.
Bacote led all players in scoring with 11 points in the first 20 minutes.
The Monarchs used a decisive shooting advantage (46 percent to 34) but were victimized by 10 first-half turnovers, which the Mean Green turned into 10 points to keep the game close.
NOTES: Old Dominion’s turnaround this season marks one of the most dramatic in the nation. The Monarchs (11-13) went 5-25 a season ago. A victory Thursday would match North Texas’ win total of 2012-13 with 12. … With six games remaining, the Monarchs are vying to be one of Conference USA’s top four teams in the regular season, which would earn them a double-bye for the conference tournament. Seeds 5-9 of the 16-team league receive a bye. Old Dominion sat in sixth with Tulane before Thursday’s game. … G Alzee Williams entered play Thursday with an eye on becoming the 20th player in North Texas history to score 1,000 career points. He needed 20. Teammate G Jordan Williams needed 48 to reach the same status.
