Early Deep Freeze Sinks Monarchs in College Park
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In college basketball, you can’t win a game in the first five minutes, but you can certainly lose one. Old Dominion learned that the hard way on Sunday afternoon.
The Monarchs (4-10) surrendered a catastrophic 17-0 run to open the contest and never fully recovered, falling 73-58 to Maryland at the Xfinity Center. Despite a resilient second-half effort, the mountain proved too steep to climb after a nightmare start that saw ODU held scoreless for nearly the first eight minutes of play.
A Cold Start The Monarchs’ offense struggled to find any rhythm against the Terrapins’ length, missing their first 11 shots from the floor. Maryland’s Isaiah Watts did the most damage early, scoring 17 first-half points to help the Terps to a comfortable halftime lead while ODU managed just 18 points as a team in the opening frame.
Wiggins Provides the Spark While the Monarchs struggled to find a consistent touch from the perimeter, freshman forward Zacch Wiggins provided a much-needed silver lining. Wiggins was one of the few Monarchs to find efficient success against the Terrapins’ frontcourt, chipping in 10 points on an economical 4-of-8 shooting.
Wiggins’ activity on both ends of the floor helped settle a shell-shocked ODU squad. His ability to finish inside and compete on the glass served as a catalyst for a second half in which the Monarchs actually outscored Maryland 40-36. While other veteran scorers struggled with their efficiency in the face of Maryland’s pressure, Wiggins played with a poise that suggests he is becoming a reliable cornerstone for the ODU rotation.
Resilience in Defeat Behind the steady play of Wiggins and a late surge in defensive intensity, Old Dominion tightened their rotations and found more success in transition during the final 20 minutes. However, every time ODU threatened to cut the lead to a manageable distance, Maryland’s Darius Adams (18 points) or Solomon Washington (13 points, 13 rebounds) found an answer.
While the scoreboard marked another notch in the loss column, the emergence of Wiggins as an efficient scoring option gives the Monarchs something to build on. The team forced 13 Maryland turnovers and showed life late, but the 22.2% shooting performance in the first half ultimately acted as an anchor they couldn't cut loose.
Up Next The Monarchs return home to Norfolk to regroup, looking to carry the momentum of their improved second-half play into their next conference tilt. For ODU, the focus remains on finding that elusive 40-minute consistency as they dive deeper into Sun Belt play.