As the Old Dominion men’s basketball team commenced the year 2025 following successive victories ending 2024, they faced a challenging Sun Belt matchup against the formidable Arkansas State squad. The Monarchs (5-9, 1-1 Sun Belt) struggled to contain the Red Wolves (11-3, 2-0 Sun Belt) and did not shoot the ball well, resulting in a defeat by a score of 78-59.
Junior guard Sean Durogordon initiated the scoring for Old Dominion with the first five points of the game, eliciting an early response from the home crowd at Chartway Arena. However, aside from Durogordon’s initial contributions, the pace of the game remained subdued during the first five minutes. After extending the Monarchs’ lead to 6-0 with a free throw, it took Arkansas State seven minutes to register their first points of the evening.
Following a 7-0 scoring run, Arkansas State not only secured their first lead at 7-6 but also extended it to 15-8. The Red Wolves capitalized on their momentum, sinking three consecutive three-point attempts. Old Dominion ended a scoring drought at the free-throw line, courtesy of freshman guard Jaden Johnson, after Arkansas State initiated a 19-2 scoring surge, pushing the score to 22-10.
Despite trailing 24-10, the Monarchs regained some momentum through a three-pointer from sophomore forward Dani Pounds and a subsequent three-point play by Durogordon, reducing the deficit to 24-16. Johnson concluded the first half strongly, scoring ten of Old Dominion’s last twelve points, allowing the team to narrow the gap to 32-29 at the half.
As the second half commenced, both teams traded baskets, with Arkansas State leading 34-31. Junior Cal Swanton-Rodger made significant defensive contributions with consecutive blocks on the Red Wolves’ shots, maintaining the three-point margin. Sophomore guard Robert Davis Jr. successfully converted a three-point play to tie the game at 34.
Arkansas State responded with a 7-0 run, restoring their lead to 41-34. Although Old Dominion managed to close within three points, the Red Wolves initiated another 6-0 scoring run, widening the margin to 47-38. From that point forward, Old Dominion struggled to keep pace with Arkansas State’s effective offensive play, which culminated in a 20-6 run, highlighted by a three-point shot from Terrance Ford Jr., giving the Red Wolves a 54-40 advantage with 11:12 remaining. Ultimately, Old Dominion succumbed to a final score of 78-59.
Arkansas State, the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference, demonstrated their skillfulness with this performance. Durogordon led Old Dominion with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Johnson achieved a career-high 18 points in a commendable freshman performance. Arkansas State successfully neutralized Davis, who had scored 32 points in Old Dominion’s recent narrow victory against Louisiana-Monroe, limiting him to just six points in this encounter. The Monarchs concluded the game with a shooting percentage of 27% overall and only 17% from three-point range.
Old Dominion head coach Mike Jones didn’t mince words following his team’s tough loss to Arkansas State. Frustrated with the Monarchs’ performance, Jones acknowledged the struggles that plagued them throughout the game.
“We picked the wrong night against the wrong team to not shoot the ball well. We played poorly in all facets of the game. We didn’t get to the rim. We didn’t get to the free throw line, ” he stated. “That’s not who we are. We’re a better team than that.”
Looking ahead, Old Dominion will host Southern Miss for another conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Chartway Arena. The scheduled tip-off is at 4 p.m., as the Monarchs aim to recover within conference play.
