The Old Dominion University men's basketball team will travel to College Park, Maryland, for a non-conference matchup against the Terrapins on Sunday, December 28. The game tips off at 6 p.m. at the XFINITY Center and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. This marks the seventh meeting between the two teams, with Maryland holding a 5-1 series lead.
Old Dominion enters the game with a 4-9 overall record and 1-1 in Sun Belt Conference play, following a narrow 76-74 loss to Coastal Carolina on December 20 at Chartway Arena. In that contest, Jordan Battle led the Monarchs with 23 points, KC Shaw added 20 points, and Caelum Swanton-Rodger recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shaw leads ODU in scoring at 16.0 points per game, followed by Battle at 14.2 and LJ Thomas at 12.3. Battle also tops the team in rebounds (5.5 per game), assists (37 total), and steals (19), while ranking second in the Sun Belt in free-throw percentage (87.5%). The Monarchs average 74.2 points per game but allow 77.2, shooting 43.4% from the field and 33.1% from three-point range.
Maryland, with a 6-6 record and 0-2 in the Big Ten, seeks to end a three-game losing streak after an 80-72 defeat to No. 23 Virginia on December 20. David Coit scored 15 points with three three-pointers, Myles Rice added 12, and Elijah Saunders contributed 10 in the loss. Pharrel Payne leads the Terrapins at 17.5 points per game, ranking 19th nationally in free-throw attempts (96), and also leads in rebounds (7.2 per game) with 11 blocks. Coit averages 14.8 points, shooting 91.9% from the free-throw line and 46.2% from beyond the arc with 36 made threes. Darius Adams chips in 12.3 points per game. Maryland averages 77.2 points but allows 80.5, shooting 41.4% from the field and 33.8% from three, while excelling in free throws (21.0 made per game, eighth in Division I).
The teams last met on November 25, 2020, with Maryland winning 85-67. ODU's only victory came on January 24, 1987, an 87-73 win in Norfolk. Notable connections include ODU head coach Mike Jones, who served as an assistant at Maryland in 2023-24, and Swanton-Rodger, who played his first two college seasons there from 2022-24. Old Dominion ranks 234th in the NET, while Maryland is 158th. Following this game, ODU hosts Appalachian State on December 31 at 2 p.m.
