Welcome to the ODU Unfiltered Throwback Thursday Series!
As we navigate the postseason calendar and the long wait through the offseason, we are opening the vault every Thursday until the start of the football season. We will be looking back at the significant games, the statistical milestones, and the defining moments in Old Dominion basketball and football history.
Whether you were in the stands, watching from a crowded bar in the 757, or you’re a newer fan learning the history of the program, this series is for you.
On a raucous night inside the Ted Constant Convocation Center, a hobbled Trey Freeman delivered one of the most iconic, gravity-defying shots in Old Dominion history to punch a ticket to Madison Square Garden.
March 25, 2015. The NIT Quarterfinals.
If you were one of the 8,161 fans packed inside the Ted Constant Convocation Center (now Chartway Arena) that Wednesday night, you know that the building wasn't just loud—it was vibrating. The stakes were incredibly clear: win, and Old Dominion was heading to Madison Square Garden for the NIT Semifinals for the first time since 2006.
Standing in their way was a lethal Murray State squad. The Racers arrived in Norfolk boasting a 29-5 record, fueled by the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and future NBA lottery pick, Cameron Payne.
But the biggest storyline wasn't Payne. It was the health of ODU’s junior guard, Trey Freeman. Just days prior, Freeman had severely rolled his ankle in practice. He was barely able to walk, let alone play, logging just 12 minutes in the previous round against Illinois State. He was a strict game-time decision against Murray State, playing at nowhere near 100%.
What he did over the next 36 minutes is the stuff of Monarch legend.
A Heavyweight Fight
From the opening tip, it was a battle of attrition. ODU leaned heavily on their trademark defense and rebounding, edging the Racers on the glass 34-33 and holding Murray State to just 37.7% shooting from the floor.
Despite the battered ankle, Freeman was the absolute motor for the Old Dominion offense. While Jonathan Arledge (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Jordan Baker (11 points) provided massive support, Freeman navigated the pain to systematically carve up the Racers' defense with his signature mid-range game.
With 3:39 remaining in the second half, Arledge converted a tough bucket to give ODU a commanding 65-55 lead. The crowd at the Ted could practically smell the roasted nuts on the streets of Manhattan. The Garden was calling.
But Murray State refused to go quietly.
The Collapse and the Climax
Driven by desperation, the Racers unleashed a ferocious full-court press. ODU, usually so secure with the basketball, uncharacteristically coughed up four late turnovers. Payne (who finished with a team-high 23 points) orchestrated a stunning 14-4 run that completely silenced the home crowd.
With just 3.5 seconds left on the clock, Murray State’s Jeffery Moss caught a pass on the wing and buried a contested three-pointer.
Tie game. 69-69.
The air was sucked entirely out of the arena. Overtime felt inevitable, and with a hobbled Freeman and a completely shifted momentum, an extra five minutes favored the visitors.
Head coach Jeff Jones called a timeout. The play was simple: get the ball to your best player and pray he has one bullet left in the chamber.
The Shot
Following the timeout, sophomore Jordan Baker stood on the baseline to trigger the inbounds pass. Murray State blanketed the floor, denying the initial cuts. Baker finally found Freeman, who caught the ball on the run near his own free-throw line.
3.5 seconds.
Freeman turned and hit the jets, sprinting up the right sideline. He crossed half-court, fully aware of the clock winding down and a Murray State defender completely draped all over him. With no time to stop and set his feet, and still about 30 feet away from the basket, Freeman launched a running, desperation heave off his right foot.
For a second, 8,161 people held their breath as the ball hung in the rafters.
Glass. Net. Horn. Pandemonium.
The ball banked perfectly off the square, sending the arena into absolute absolute bedlam. Freeman was immediately mobbed by his teammates at mid-court in a dogpile that nearly spilled onto the press row.
Against all odds, on one good ankle, Freeman finished with 25 points, four assists, three rebounds, and the most spectacular game-winner in the modern era of ODU basketball. The 72-69 victory secured the Monarchs' 27th win of the season and cemented their trip to the Mecca of basketball in New York City.
It was a shot that defied logic, broke Murray State's heart, and will echo through the halls of Chartway Arena forever.
ODU Unfiltered covers Old Dominion University athletics and institutional affairs with the honesty the official channels won't provide.