- Jhivvan Jackson pours in season-best 45, setting arena, and ODU opponent records.
- Keaton Wallace chips in 21 points and six rebounds.
- Jacob Germany grabs career-high 15 rebounds, adds eight points in second career stat.
- UTSA is at Charlotte at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday on ESPN+.
NORFOLK, Va. -- Jhivvan Jackson's 45 points set a Chartway Arena record and helped fuel UTSA men's basketball to an 85-81 win at the defending league champion, Old Dominion, on Thursday night.
Jackson, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, set a new season high with a 45-point outing, adding three assists and one steal in 42 minutes. He made 17 of 33 shots and was 8 of 18 from 3-point range, adding 3 of 4 from the charity stripe.
He finished just one-point shy of his career high – a 46-point game at Western Kentucky last season – while setting a Chartway Arena and ODU opponent record. His 28 points in the first half, which outscored ODU by a point, marked a new career high in a single period, set an opponent record in games played against the Monarchs, and sits shy of the UTSA record of 31 points scored in the half by Derrick Gervin vs. Baylor in 1985.
The nation's No. 2 scorer, Jackson upped his average to a would-be program record 27.1 points per game after his 45-point outburst. He sits just shy of Marquette senior Markus Howard's NCAA-leading 27.9 points per game.
"It was a great win," Jackson said. "In the first half, our defense was phenomenal and I got hot. We got nine stops in a row and that is why we played so well in the first half. We all needed a win tonight and we worked our tail off the whole week in practice. We got the win and that's all it is. We practiced, we got ready and we played hard. We beat them in rebounding which was one of the main focuses of the game."
It marked his ninth game of the year and the 16th of his career with 30 or more points, and his second game of the year with 40 or more points after putting up 41 in a win over Illinois State on Dec. 21. His 45 point-outing tied Keaton Wallace's 45 points in a win at Marshall last year for third in Conference USA history, behind his 46-point outing at WKU and a 52-point game from Robert McKiver for Houston in 2008.
"He really did have it going," UTSA head coach Steve Henson said. "To get 45, without getting the free throw line a lot, sometimes in those big scoring games, guys are shooting eight, 10, 12 free throws, he just kept after it. His floaters and midrange were terrific. He hit some deep shots early. He just really had it going."
UTSA (11-13, 5-6 C-USA) outlasted Old Dominion (9-15, 5-6 C-USA) for the win after posting a 44-27 halftime lead and owning a margin that reached as high as 20. The Monarchs owned a 44-27 margin in the second half before UTSA outscored ODU 14-10 in overtime.
"We needed that after some of the things that have happened on the road for us in conference play," Henson said. "To find a way was really good for us. Our guys, despite the record and a couple of losses here lately, our guys haven't lost their confidence. They haven't pointed fingers at each other. Our chemistry is very good. They continue to practice the right way. This was not the game that we'd point at and think this is where we are going to get healthy and get our heads up. Our guys are doing things the right way and it paid off tonight."
Wallace, who prepped at Dallas' Richardson High School, had a key 21 points, with six rebounds and two assists in 42 minutes.
Freshman center Jacob Germany made his second career start and turned in a career-high 15 rebounds, including nine in the first half, while adding eight points in a career-high 36 minutes.
"Unbelievable and fantastic," Henson said about Germany's game. "The way he rebounded the ball, they are No. 1 in the league in offensive and defensive rebounding. They get the highest percentage back of anyone in the league. Jacob sent a message early that he was getting all the defensive rebounds, he kept them off the glass. The first half we threw it to him on a roll and in the second half they got even more aggressive. He's such a talented guy. When they started putting two defenders on Keaton and Jhivvan, we have to roll him in there. He can catch it and finish it but he also has pretty good poise in there. He doesn't panic and he sees the floor pretty well. As he gets more comfortable and we get more comfortable throwing it to him, he's going to be a big weapon in the future."
Senior forward Byron Frohnen made the program-record 124th consecutive start to open his career. The native of Las Vegas, Nev., finished with three points and eight rebounds. He owns 858 career rebounds, a UTSA record.
Freshman point guard Erik Czumbel chipped in six points, two rebounds and three assists.
FINAL! Jhivvan Jackson explodes for 45 points to help lead UTSA to an 85-81 overtime win at the defending league champions, ODU. NEXT: UTSA is at Charlotte at 3 pm CT on Saturday. #BirdsUp 🤙 | #RunWithUs pic.twitter.com/9M5dKS0BLz
— UTSA Basketball (@UTSAMBB) February 7, 2020
The Roadrunners shot 42.3 percent from the field and was 13 of 32 from 3-point range. ODU, known as a hard-nosed defensive team, shot 38.8 percent from the field and was 11 of 33 from distance. UTSA held a 46-45 margin in rebounding against the Monarchs, who entered the game outrebounding their foes by 5.5 boards a game.
ODU got a career-high 30 points from Malik Curry, with A.J. Oliver adding 20 and Xavier Green charting a 15-point game. Aaron Carver had 20 rebounds and one point in 37 minutes.
UTSA will return to action on Saturday, traveling to face Charlotte at 3 p.m. CT at Halton Arena. The game will be televised live on ESPN+ with Bobby Rosinski (play-by-play) and Jobey Thomas (analyst) calling the action. Fans can also hear the game live on the Roadrunners Sports Network, with Andy Everett – the Voice of the Roadrunners – calling the action live on Ticket 760 AM and goUTSA.com.
The teams traded the first 18 points of the game at the first media timeout, with UTSA getting triples from Jackson and Wallace. After the first media timeout, UTSA continued a 10-0 run – including eight straight from Jackson – to take a 16-9 lead after a Germany putback. After a pair of ODU buckets, Jackson completed his second floater in the lane to give UTSA a 18-13 lead as the Monarchs called their first timeout.
After a pair of ODU baskets, UTSA ripped off a 11-0 run – behind 10 consecutive points from Jackson – to take a 29-17 lead, with a Jackson mid-range jumper giving UTSA a 13-1 run – 12 of which from Jackson – and a 31-17 lead at the final media break of the half.
UTSA's got two more 3-pointer from Jackson and a bucket at the rim from Wallace to take the lead to 20 in the closing seconds of the first half before ODU drilled a triple to cut the lead to 17. Jackson poured in 28 points, the most in his career in a single period. UTSA shot 47 percent in the half and owned a 24-18 margin in rebounding.
ODU used three straight 3-point plays to cut into the lead to 52-38 at the first media timeout, with Jackson adding a pair of buckets inside the arc.
The lead was cut to nine after a 3-point play with 13:59 left on the clock before a Jackson slam stopped a 7-0 ODU run.
The Monarchs cut the lead to 60-58 before Wallace drilled a triple from the wing to take the lead to 63-59 with 4:26 left in regulation.
Wallace hit a key 3-pointer to give UTSA a seven-point lead but ODU answered with a triple. Erik Czumbel's two free throws gave UTSA a 68-62 lead with 2:15 left but the Monarchs got a triple to cut the lead to 68-65.
Wallace answered with a triple for a 71-65 lead and ODU got a pair back to cut the lead to 71-67 with 73 seconds left.
After an ODU defensive stop, Curry got to the rim for a pair to cut the lead to 71-69.
UTSA inbounded the ball near midcourt with 24.7 seconds left, with Wallace drawing a foul. He missed the front end of the one-and-one and Aaron Carver was fouled on the other end, hitting the first free throw and missing the second.
Germany secured the rebound with 14.6 seconds left and was fouled. He missed the front end and ODU took the ball.
Curry drove the ball to the rim and was fouled, trailing 71-70 with 4.4 seconds left. He missed the first free throw but made the second to even the game at 71.
Jackson's drive and attempt at a floater just missed, pushing the game into overtime.
ODU's first lead of the game came after a lob dunk to open the overtime scoring.
Jackson drilled a triple and ODU answered before Frohnen completed an and-one to give UTSA a 77-73 lead.
ODU drilled a triple to cut the lead to one before Jackson rose up with a triple for an 80-76 lead as the clock ticked under a minute.
Xavier Green's triple cut the lead to 80-79 as the clock ticked under 20 seconds.
Jackson was fouled with 16.2 seconds left in overtime, hitting both for a three-point lead.
After a defensive stop, Wallace secured the rebound and was fouled. With 10.2 seconds left in overtime, Wallace hit both for a five-point lead.
ODU got the ball to Kalu Ezikpe, who was fouled on his attack at the rim. Ezikpe hit both free throws to cut the lead to 84-81 with 4.9 seconds left.
Jackson was fouled on the inbounds with 4.5 seconds left. He sank the last of two free throws and ODU's deep triple was long.
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