App State defeats Old Dominion 73-81
App State Edges Old Dominion in Tight Conference Matchup
In a hard-fought conference battle, the App State Mountaineers (81) emerged victorious over the Old Dominion Monarchs (73) at Chartway Arena on New Year's Eve.
The primary storyline of the game centered around App State's ability to overcome a sluggish start and maintain their lead down the stretch. The away team took an early 19-37 lead in the first half, but ultimately outscored Old Dominion by a margin of eight points (73-65) after intermission.
Michael Marcus Jr. led the Mountaineers in scoring with 20 points, shooting an impressive 87.5% from the field, including zero made three-point attempts. Alonzo Dodd chipped in with 10 points and seven assists to pace App State's attack.
On the other end, Jordan Battle spearheaded Old Dominion's offense with 20 points, including three made three-pointers and a 50.0% shooting percentage from the field. The senior forward also dominated on the glass, grabbing six rebounds while adding four assists and two steals.
The game featured several key differentiating stats between the teams that impacted the outcome. App State outrebounded Old Dominion by nine boards (43-34), which allowed them to control the paint and limit scoring opportunities for the Monarchs. Conversely, Old Dominion struggled with turnovers, committing 11 mistakes against just 11 from App State.
Advanced statistics further reinforced App State's superiority in several key areas. The Mountaineers boasted an eFG% of 59.3%, indicating a high level of efficiency on offense, while also limiting Old Dominion to a 50.8% effective field goal percentage. This disparity in efficiency led to a more favorable true shooting percentage for App State (61.1%) compared to the Monarchs (53.1%).
The win marked an important conference victory for App State and sets up an intriguing matchup against their next opponent. With this performance, the Mountaineers demonstrated their ability to overcome adversity and secure crucial wins in the competitive conference landscape.
Final Box Score
* Old Dominion: 73
+ Jordan Battle - 20 points (3-5 3PT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists
+ ... (stats omitted for brevity)
* App State: 81
+ Michael Marcus Jr. - 20 points (0-1 3PT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist
+ Alonzo Dodd - 10 points, 7 assists