Monarchs Pounce Presbyterian
The Presbyterian Blue Hose were sporting blue Thursday Night. Still, they certainly did not play big, as the Monarchs, flying around in white, washed them out with tight coverage on defense, patience, and execution on offense, and smooth transitions up and down the court. A sound team effort was embellished by excellent efforts, starting in the middle with Richard Ross playing graceful and equally tough in the paint. Then there is Keenan Palmore and Dimitri Batten attacking the rim with sharp layouts complemented with a volley of deep field goals on the perimeter. Palmore, who was the game's most valuable player with a career-high 24 points, acknowledged the defensive effort as the team's driving force that lead to the win. He was "happy with his individual defense" and made it a clear point that a "competitive mindset dictated each game."
Hard work pays off, and that was evident throughout the night, "we prepared to play tonight, not every team is ready for every game." Palmore emphasized that the Monarch's man press defense was the most impressive aspect of their game. And it was, each defender was relentlessly covering their assigned man, rarely allowing uncontested shots, passes, or drives to the basket. As a defensive unit, they were cornering Presbyterian shooters into low percentage perimeter shots, forced errant passes, and Blue Hose players made several notable awkward attempts at the basket. Constant pressure led to fatigue, and fatigue stunted the Blue Hose offense.
The Monarchs dominated from tip-off to final buzzer. They scored the first points, and their lead was never in threat for the rest of the night. It was a satisfying win for Coach Jeff Jones and what he like most about tonight's game, "we surprised Presbyterian, we can garner experience by playing with the lead. There was not a big drop off from the first period." Everyone saw it, side by side with Presbyterian, Old Dominion's players are faster, have better endurance, and are more physically imposing. They also had better communication and more discipline, and Coach Jones can take the credit for these winning traits.
Yes, a fan can admire their athletic ability. Still, Coach Jones does not want his team to be identified by their stout build, "the team will scrap, we will become a team that the fans can rally behind, we won't overwhelm most teams with talent or size, but we will win with a collective effort." A shrewd statement by the coach, without discrediting their effort, he reminds his players that tonight's victory was nothing spectacular. This type of message keeps the players focused. The Monarchs are off to a solid start at 3-1, but the coach knows there's a long journey ahead of them, and his "goal is to keep getting better."
Their next opponent is the Georgia Southern Eagles, who currently average 92 points per game and have nearly beaten other powerhouse teams such as the Miami Hurricanes. These early-season challenges could mold the Monarchs into a better team and propel them to more significant moments.
