NORFOLK — A distant second to the Cure Bowl on Old Dominion’s Wednesday athletic calendar, the men’s basketball game between the Monarchs and James Madison at Chartway Arena was nonetheless a big one in its own right, being the latest meeting between the state rivals and the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams.
And of course there was this: the Monarchs had not beaten the Dukes since December 1, 2018, dropping nine straight in the series.
Setting things right for at least one night, the heretofore struggling Monarchs were equal to the moment, taking command in the first half and never losing control in a 77-68 win.
“I’m very excited about the possibilities of what we can be if we continue to stick together like we did tonight,” ODU coach Mike Jones said.
The start of conference play offers all teams a chance at a fresh start. ODU (4-8, 1-0) needed one more than most, having lost five straight games. It was also just the fourth home game of the year for the road-weary team.
Aggressive from the start, the Monarchs held the Dukes to just 22 points in jumping out to a 12-point halftime lead. It was the fewest points ODU has allowed in a half this season.
Old Dominion guard Jordan Battle (23) loses grip of the ball under pressure from James Madison forward Christian Brown (0) during a game at ODU’s Chartway Arena in Norfolk on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Credit goes to a zone defense Jones and his staff have implemented recently. When clicking, it allows the Monarchs to defend the perimeter better than they had in their switching man-to-man, and also helps limit foul trouble, Jones said.
Playing without point guard LJ Thomas, who was out with an injury, the Monarchs took an all-hands approach to running the offense, sharing the ball handling duties among several players, but mostly guards KC Shaw (22 points) and Jordan Battle (19 points.)
Shaw attacked the basket relentlessly. Battle was a one-man perimeter attack early in the second half. In one 90-second sequence, he was fouled on a 3-point attempt, hit all three free throws, then drained a 3-pointer before being fouled again on a trey attempt, and again hitting three from the free throw line.
The Monarchs built a 17-point lead shortly after. JMU (7-5, 0-1) trimmed it to seven, but ODU responded with a Battle 3-pointer and a driving layup by Shaw.
“We’ve tried to be as prepared as we possibly could for every single game we’ve played,” Jones said. “But I think the excitement of playing back at home, and then obviously playing James Madison, a huge rival, in-state rival. … to be able to start out like we did tonight was huge.”
With many of the Monarch faithful cheering on the football team in Florida, the crowd was lighter than it otherwise would have been for the Dukes. It was announced at 5,788, but that seemed a generous figure.
JMU had not just won nine straight in the series, it had dominated, winning by an average of 10.6 points, and by 12.5 points since 2022, when the teams became Sun Belt rivals.
The Dukes, like many teams these days, are in rebuilding mode, with 13 new players, including 11 transfers. ODU has flipped its roster as well, although not to the same degree.
The top returning Monarch, Robert Davis Jr., the preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, suffered through an off night, missing seven of eight shots overall and all six of his 3-point attempts. The Dukes frequently sent two defenders at him. But with Shaw and Battle in rhythm, and forward Jared Turner adding 14 points, the Monarchs had enough offense to finish the job.
The football team also finished, and Jones began his postgame remarks by congratulating coach Ricky Rahne for completing a 10-win season by beating South Florida.
ODU beats USF, celebrates ‘very significant’ Cure Bowl victory to complete 10-win season
An hour after that game ended, the basketball team held up its end, on a big night for Monarch Nation. Doing it at home made it even sweeter, Battle said.
“That was lovely, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “We’ve been on the road so much we really don’t have a feel for playing at home. But when we play at home, we play, for sure. We’re undefeated (at home) right now for a reason.”
The Monarchs will get a chance to extend their streak Saturday against Coastal Carolina.
