NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of Old Dominion Athletics) – Less than a week ago, Tyrone Williams was in Sentara Heart Hospital undergoing testing for what officials termed “an acute cardiac condition.”
Sunday afternoon, the transfer from Oregon played with a ton of heart as he led the Old Dominion men’s basketball team to a much-needed victory.
The 6-foot-5, senior guard from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania led ODU with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes as the Monarchs outlasted Drexel, 68-61, in overtime at Chartway Arena. All three numbers were season-highs for Williams.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for ODU (2-3) and gave the Monarchs their first win this season over a Division I school.
Williams was hospitalized and underwent testing last Monday after experiencing some chest discomfort and was supposed to undergo a procedure Tuesday night. However, medical personnel later assessed the procedure wasn’t needed.
“His heart was able to correct itself on its own,” Jones said. “That’s why they (doctors) gave him the thumbs up.
“Had he had the procedure done, I’m not sure he would have been cleared.”
Actually, he was medically cleared to play during Wednesday’s game against Princeton, said Jones, who decided not to play him out of an abundance of caution.
Transferring to ODU has so far been a godsend for Williams. He averaged 2.5 points and two rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game last season at Oregon, but at ODU, he’s got the potential to become a go-to guy. And his rebounding is a much-welcomed addition for a team that lacks height.
“This is a big year for this team, not only for me but for the entire team,” Williams said. “I feel like we’ve got a lot of potential to do something big and I want to be a part of it.
“I think I can help this team a lot.”
Although he sat much of the second half with four fouls, Chaunce Jenkins had 18 points and four assists for ODU. Vasean Allette, the standout freshman from Toronto, had 15 points, five rebounds and two steals in a game Jones said may have been his most complete as a Monarch.
ODU and Drexel generally played closely contested, physical battles settled on the final few possessions when they were in the Colonial Athletic Association, and even though the Monarchs left the CAA a decade ago, this was that type of game.
With 6-10, 255-pound Englishman Amari Williams, the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, anchoring the middle for Drexel, the Dragons (3-3) outrebounded ODU, 48-35.
But what the Monarchs lacked in heft, they made up for with hustle.
ODU had 13 steals and forced 18 turnovers, and for the most part, came up with more than its fair share of loose balls. Jones has been displeased with his team’s effort at hitting the floor to come up with loose balls.
“I don’t know if we got the lion’s share of 50-50 balls, but it felt like we did,” he said. “I think this is the first game that you could say that.
“And that was critical because we got beat on the boards.”
The Monarchs rallied to send the game into overtime. Drexel led, 46-41, with 8:25 left on two Yame Butler free throws.
Williams had a putback, Jason Wade a steal which he fed to Imo Essien for a layup and then Williams a driving layup to give ODU a 47-46 lead with 5:46 left.
With 2:16 left, Dani Pounds put in a layup to give ODU a four-point lead.
ODU missed two shots and a free throw in the final two minutes and the Dragons sent the game into OT on two free throws by Lamar Oden Jr. with 15 seconds left.
ODU scored the first five points in overtime, and after Drexel cut the lead to two, Williams made a three-point shot with 1:12 left to rebuild the margin back to five.
ODU salted the victory away from the free-throw line, as Jenkins and Essien each made two in the final 16 seconds.
Six of the 11 players who got on the court are newcomers, and slowly but surely, the new and old are beginning to jell, Jones said.
“We’re learning,” Jones said.
“I know this was just one win, but it feels good because this team has potential.”
“But,” he added, “we’ve still got a lot to learn.”