Marcus Denmon’s big second half, and crucial baskets late from Ricardo Ratliffe in his homecoming lifted unbeaten Mizzou to a 75-68 win Friday night at the Ted in a game that was equal parts encouraging and disappointing for the relatively inexperienced Monarchs.
"That experience, there’s just no substitute for it," ODU coach Blaine Taylor said. "You can do it with talent, and you can do it with plans, and you can do it with performance. But for a guy to make the extra pass or get the deflection at the right time or get a putback – some of that stuff pays off. We’re gaining valuable experience ourselves, but they certainly are a team that’s been through the paces."
The Monarchs (6-7) carried one of the nation’s top offensive teams, a squad that had won its first 12 games by an average of 25.8 points, to the wire in its first true road game of the season. They limited Missouri’s preferred go-go pace, save for a stretch early in the second half. They outrebounded the Tigers by 10, and their bench delivered 29 points and 16 rebounds.
"That’s a Division I basketball team," said Ratliffe, the Kecoughtan High product who pitched in 14 points and 11 rebounds and one of six seniors in the playing rotation.
"I don’t really categorize them as a mid-major because they have great teams every year and give us a tough ball game every year," he said. "I expected it to be a grind-out game, our first road game. It was totally what I expected. I know those guys, and I know they’re tough guys and they can play the game. We just tried to come out there and outplay them."
ODU took its last lead, 67-65, on a driving shot by Kent Bazemore with 1:59 remaining. But the speedy Tigers answered just nine seconds later when point guard Phil Pressey found Ratliffe inside for a layup.
A frantic 40-second sequence ensued that included a turnover by each team and a Bazemore miss. Ratliffe rebounded the miss and got the ball to Pressey, who quickly found Denmon open on the right wing. The senior guard elevated without hesitation and buried a cold-blooded 3-pointer for a 70-67 lead.
"I went to the spot where I was open," said Denmon, who scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, "and I just took the shot that I shoot a thousand times a week. I understood that it was an important part of the game, and I just wanted to win the game."
ODU big man Chris Cooper (10 points, 11 rebounds) traveled on ODU’s next possesion, and Denmon hit a pair of free throws with 42.3 seconds left to push the lead to five points. The Monarchs missed their last three shots and managed just one free throw on their final five possessions.
"I told the kids that the thing that really sticks out in my mind," Taylor said, "is the really good plays that we made when we answered or we headed them, we weren’t able to back up a really good play with a second really good play. A lot of our really good plays were an answer to them, instead of on top of something good we did. And I think that’s what we needed down the stretch to head this bunch and to head to the buzzer with the lead."
bostonherald.com
{ 0 comments... read them below or add one }
Post a Comment