NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of ODU Athletics) – It was an emotional evening full of joy Saturday for an Old Dominion men’s basketball team that has had far too little of either this season.
On a night when head coach Jeff Jones returned for Senior Night two months after suffering a heart attack, and the Monarchs bade farewell to Jason Wade, one of the most courageous players ever to don an ODU uniform, the Monarchs rolled over Coastal Carolina, 75-59, before a boisterous Chartway Arena crowd of 6,420.
The 16-point victory ended a six-game losing streak for ODU (7-22 overall, 3-13 Sun Belt) with an exclamation point.
Wade was the major focus during Senior Night ceremonies. The sixth-year senior overcame a serious knee injury, a torn Achilles Tendon and a deep bout with depression and returned to play the last two seasons.
He drew a long and sustained ovation when he walked onto the court with his family.
But it was Tyrone Williams, the 6-foot-5 senior transfer from Oregon, who grabbed the spotlight after the opening tip. The Philadelphia native scored a career-high 33 points, including 11 points over a 3-minute stretch late in the second half when the Monarchs stretched a 10-point lead to 21.
It was the most points scored by a Monarch in six seasons – B.J. Smith scored 36 against UTSA on Feb. 18, 2018.
Williams carried his one-year-old son, Chase, into the arena for the pregame Senior Night ceremonies, and the last time his son was at Chartway, he scored 15 points.
“This was my last time here, my last time in front of these fans,” Williams said. “So, I had to go out like that.
“And my son was in the crowd. That was really special. It was kind of a surprise. I didn’t think he was going to be able to make it.
“It was a great night.”
Jones’ appearance was also a late addition to the ceremony. ODU announced Friday afternoon he would return to Chartway for Senior Night.
Following his heart attack, Jones stepped aside for the season as coach in favor of long-time assistant coach Kieran Donohue, and had not been to an ODU game since early December.
Jones’ eyes were moist as he and Wade hugged for nearly a minute. Afterwards, Jones beat a hasty retreat out of Chartway Arena with his wife, Danielle Decker Jones. He did not want to be a distraction during the game. His wife was also in tears.
Jones said his emotions boiled over as he walked through the tunnel headed to the court.
“That was the hardest part,” he said.
Donohue, who has coached with Jones most of his career, said he was thrilled to see his long-time boss back at Chartway Arena.
“I’m just very happy that Jeff was able to be here tonight,” Donohue said. “Because I know how much it meant for him to be here.
“Jeff is a team guy, right? The team comes first in so many areas of his life. And he cares so much about his players.
“It was good to see him. He looked great. But I think it was very hard for him to be here. I give him a lot of credit. He’s just a tough guy and I’m so happy for him that he was able to participate.
“I know how much Jason and his entire family mean to Jeff.”
Wade started finished his last home game with two points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in a little less than 15 minutes of playing time.
The Monarchs led by two with eight minutes left in a game that had see-sawed back and forth. But ODU then buried the Chanticleers under an avalanche of three-pointers and dunk shots during a 24-5 run that had the crowd on its feet cheering until several minutes after the game ended.
Williams made a three-pointer, and high-fived a fan in the courtside seats as he got back on defense, followed by a thundering dunk shot from Dani Pounds that gave ODU a 67-52 lead.
Williams then had a breakway, tomahawk dunk shot, then followed that with another three-pointer that gave the Monarchs a 72-52 lead with 1:25 left.
When Donohue cleared his bench seconds later, the crowd cheered loudly a victory that has been a long time in coming. ODU had lost its last seven home games.
After the traditional post-game handshakes with the Chanticleers, Wade went to center court, knelt down and kissed the Chartway Arena floor.
Donohue paid homage to ODU’s fans, who in spite of the team’s record, lead the Sun Belt in attendance.
“Our players haven’t quit, our coaches haven’t quit and our administration hasn’t quit,” he said. “And our fans haven’t quit.
“To draw that size of a crowd for a team that’s had the year we’ve had says something about how special our fans are. There have been a lot of coaches, a lot of players, who came before us and helped build this program.
“And we’ve been lucky enough, in hard times, to be buoyed by our program and the fan base we built over the years. Our fans gave us a big lift.
“I want to say thank you to all of our fans, and to all of the coaches and players who built this program into such a special place.”