Monarchs  68    Bears  76

Old Dominion (27-8) vs. Baylor (26-7)

Sports Network | March 20, 2010

GAME NOTES: Second-round action in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament will take place this evening when the Baylor Bears battle the Old Dominion Monarchs at the New Orleans Arena.

The Monarchs earned just their third victory in the NCAA Tournament, and their first since 1995 when they defeated Notre Dame 51-50 in first-round play on Thursday. Old Dominion, which is participating in its 10th NCAA Tournament, earned 26 victories during the regular season and also claimed the Colonial Athletic Association tournament title with a victory over William & Mary.

The Bears collected their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1950 with a 68-59 decision over Sam Houston State in the first round. It was just the fourth overall win in the Big Dance for Baylor, which claimed the third seed in the South Region by racking up 25 victories during the regular season.

This will be just the second-ever matchup between the two schools on the hardwood, and the first since 1973. In the lone meeting between the two teams, the Monarchs grabbed an 87-79 decision over Baylor.

The Monarchs are getting ready for a second-round matchup with Baylor thanks to their outstanding play defensively against Notre Dame, as Old Dominion limited the Fighting Irish to just 50 points on a 35.6 percent shooting effort. Throughout the season the Monarchs have relied on their performance defensively, as Old Dominion is holding the opposition to just 56.9 ppg. Offensively however, Old Dominion is producing just 67.1 ppg, and is being paced by Gerald Lee, who is averaging 14.4 ppg. In the win over Notre Dame, the Monarchs only finished with 51 points behind a 41.7 percent shooting effort. Lee only scored nine points in the victory, but the team received a solid effort from Frank Hassell, who tallied 15 points, to go along with nine rebounds. Keyon Carter was the only other player in double figures for ODU, as the guard posted 11 points in a reserve role.

The Bears were not overwhelming in their first-round victory over Sam Houston State, but the team did enough to slip by the Bearkats and into the second round. Baylor shot 44.1 percent from the floor in the matchup and also won the battle on the glass by a 47-37 margin. Ekpe Udoh led the way in the win with a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, while LaceDarius Dunn tallied 13 points. Anthony Jones and Quincy Acy added 10 points apiece, while Acy also grabbed seven rebounds. Throughout the season the Bears have been dangerous at the offensive end of the court, as the team is producing 77.3 ppg, behind an impressive 48.8 percent shooting. Dunn is currently pacing the squad with 19.2 ppg, while Tweety Carter is helping out with 15.2 ppg and a team-best 173 assists. Udoh has dominated play in the paint for Baylor, as the big man is averaging 14.1 ppg, to go along with a team-best 9.9 rpg and 126 blocks.

The Monarchs have done a great job defensively this season, and should be able to keep this matchup close. However, the Bears possess a very balanced attack at the offensive end, and should be able to slip past Old Dominion here.

GAME NOTES: Second-round action in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament will take place this evening when the Baylor Bears battle the Old Dominion Monarchs at the New Orleans Arena.

FACTS & STATS: Site: New Orleans Arena (18,500) -- New Orleans, Louisiana. Television: CBS. NCAA Tournament Record: ODU 3-9, Baylor 4-7. Series Record: Old Dominion leads, 1-0.

Baylor 69, Old Dominion 64