Old Dominion 78, Drexel 66
Sophomore guard Dimitri Batten and senior center DeShawn Painter scored 15 points apiece, helping visiting Old Dominion snap a 10-game losing streak with a 78-66 victory over Drexel on Thursday at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.
Sophomore forward Richard Ross added 14 points for the Monarchs (3-20, 1-10 Colonial Athletic Association), who had not won since beating Virginia on Dec. 22.
Senior guard Derrick Thomas scored 18 points and junior guard Frantz Massenat added 17 points for the Dragons (9-14, 5-6), who have lost three of their past four games.
The teams traded leads throughout the first half. The score was tied at 24-24 until Batten and Painter hit back-to-back 3-pointers, giving Old Dominion a 30-24 lead with 3:14 remaining in before the break.
Old Dominion led 30-26 at halftime. Drexler rallied to take a 39-38 lead on two free throws by junior forward Dartaye Ruffin with 15:38 remaining, but Old Dominion answered with an 11-0 run to take a 49-39 lead on junior guard Donte Hill's layup with 12:08 to play.
The Monarchs continued to pull away, leading by as many as 18 points before the Dragons cut into the lead in the final minutes.
