Welcome to the ODU Unfiltered Throwback Thursday Series!
As we push through the postseason and stare down the long wait of the offseason, we’re keeping the Monarch spirit alive. Every Thursday until football season kicks off, we’re opening the vault.
We’re talking about the gritty upsets, the milestones, and the unbelievable, unforgettable moments that define Old Dominion basketball and football. Whether you were in the stands losing your voice, pacing around your living room in the 757, or you’re a newer fan catching up on the history, this series is for you.
Aaron Bacote plays a statistically perfect game from the floor, and the Monarchs dismantle Shaka Smart’s trademark defense inside a sold-out Ted Constant Center to spring the 2014 upset.
Let’s set the scene: November 29, 2014. The Ted Constant Convocation Center.
The rivalry with VCU is always circled in red ink on the calendar. You don't need to manufacture bad blood when the Rams come to Norfolk. But when they rolled into town that Saturday afternoon ranked #14 in the country, riding the crest of Shaka Smart's national "Havoc" brand, the stakes were high.
This wasn't just another chapter in a bitter rivalry; it was an opportunity for head coach Jeff Jones to make a nationally televised statement. The Ted was packed to the absolute rafters with a raucous sellout crowd of 8,472 fans forming a sea of blue.
Suffocating the Press
VCU’s entire identity was built on forcing pure chaos. They wanted to press, trap, and turn every 40-minute basketball game into a frantic, exhausting track meet. Coming into the afternoon, the Rams were forcing opponents into 18 turnovers a game and averaging 10 steals. The national media loved it.
The Monarchs, however, didn't flinch.
From the opening tip, ODU flipped the script. Led by the steady hand of point guard Trey Freeman (who would finish with 15 points), the Monarchs absolutely shredded the Havoc press. Rather than playing scared or rushing their offensive sets, they invited the traps, moved the ball with surgical precision, and found open shooters. Defensively, ODU was a brick wall, contesting every passing lane and challenging VCU at the rim.
The Rams were rattled. VCU shot a miserable 24% in the first 20 minutes. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, VCU's vaunted defense looked disheartened, and ODU jogged into the locker room with a commanding 32-18 lead.
The Aaron Bacote Show
While breaking the press was a collective effort, the offensive explosion came from Aaron Bacote.
If you were in the building, you remember exactly how dialed in the junior guard from Hampton was. It was one of those rare, magical performances where the rim looks like the ocean and the defender might as well be invisible.
When VCU tried to ramp up the pressure in the second half to cut into the 14-point deficit, Bacote broke their backs. He was absolutely flawless from the floor. Need a bucket to stop a run? Bacote drilled a pull-up jumper. Left him open on the wing? Splash. He finished the game 8-for-8 on field goals and a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range. He completely carried the offense, drawing contact and adding 11 free throws to his stat line for a career-high 31 points.
Every time VCU tried to establish any defensive momentum, Bacote was there to sink a dagger.
The Surge and The Survival
But if you thought a top-15 team coached by Shaka Smart was going to go quietly into the Norfolk night, you were mistaken.
Down by as many as 18 points (42-24) early in the second half, VCU desperately clawed back. The energy in the building began to shift as Rams senior forward Treveon Graham went absolutely nuclear. Graham put the entire VCU roster on his back, hitting impossible, highly contested shots from all over the floor. He poured in 22 of his game-high 34 points in the final 8:30 of the contest.
With just 1:34 left to play, the nightmare scenario unfolded. Graham drilled a deep three-pointer to cap a furious 13-2 run. Suddenly, the Monarchs' massive lead had evaporated down to a terrifying six points (59-53).
The Ted held its collective breath. The Rams were pressing with reckless abandon. One turnover could mean collapse.
But ODU refused to fold. The Monarchs beat the press, forcing VCU to foul, and iced the game exactly where gritty teams do: at the charity stripe. Freeman, Bacote, and Richard Ross stepped up under immense pressure, converting 12 of their 14 free throws in the frantic final minute.
When the final horn sounded on the 73-67 victory, Monarch Nation roared. It was ODU's first win over a ranked opponent since taking down Georgetown in 2009, and a beautiful, chaotic reminder to the entire state of Virginia that you don't bring Havoc into our house.
Were you in the stands when Bacote couldn't miss and the fans rushed the floor? Where does this win rank in your favorite ODU/VCU rivalry moments? Drop your memories in the comments below!
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