Simaru Fields' clutch three-pointer stopped the Eagles in mid-flight on senior night.

Georgia Southern (Overall Record: 14-14, Conference Record: 7-9)

Old Dominion University (Overall Record: 16-13, Conference Record: 8-8)

DeLisha Milton-Jones hugs En'Dya Buford on senior night at the last home game in Chartway Arena. Photo credit: ODU Sports Photographer.

On Saturday, Feb. 22nd, the ODU Monarchs continued their winning streak, beating the Georgia Southern Eagles 66 - 68. Simaru Fields’ clutch three-pointer stopped the Eagles in mid-flight on senior night. The crowd turned up for the Monarchs' last home game. When the game got close and “down to the wire,” Delisha Milton-Jones turned to the crowd and encouraged them to get loud.

Both teams played defensively. The Monarchs grabbed 24 defensive rebounds and 19 offensive rebounds, totaling 43 rebounds. The Eagles grabbed 27 defensive rebounds and 16 offensive rebounds, totaling 43 rebounds. The Eagles and Monarchs traded buckets throughout the game. 

Brenda Fontana, made a three-point jumper at the 8-minute mark, scoring the first bucket at her last home game. Then Simone Cunningham made it to the free-throw line. She made one of two free throws, which gave the Monarchs the lead by 4. Leah Johnson answered with a second chance layup. 

Late in the first quarter Mariah Clayton made a layup, assisted by En'Dya Buford. Mariah's fast-break layup gave the Monarchs a one-point lead going into the second quarter. At the half, the Monarchs shot 29.7 percent from the field and the Eagles shot 40 percent from the field. 

The Eagles scored 36 points in the paint, 22 second chance points, and finished with a field goal percentage of 41.3. The Monarchs scored 26 points in the paint, 22 second chance points, and finished with a field goal percentage of 40.6.  Kelsey Thompson was the player of the game. Thompson ended the game with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. 

Coming off the bench Sarah Hammack Fitzgerald provided a much-needed defensive presence. Delisha Milton-Jones said, “Sarah was an unsung hero today. I know Simaru will probably take the headlines, but Sarah Mikayla Brown, Nisaa Muhammad, and Jadyn Atchison, everyone is woven into this victory delicately.” The Monarchs had everyone in the arena on the edge of their seats for 40 minutes. 

Listen to the full play-by-play for Old Dominion versus Georgia Southern. The Monarchs' next matchup will be against Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C., at the HTC Center at 5 p.m. They will compete with Georgia Southern again on February 28, 5 p.m., at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.