BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a staggering reversal of fortune, the Old Dominion Monarchs survived a furious second-half rally by Appalachian State to escape the Holmes Center with a 75-73 victory in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game on Saturday.

The Monarchs, who led by as many as 23 points in the first half and took a 36-17 lead into the break, watched that advantage evaporate completely under a relentless Mountaineer onslaught in the final 20 minutes before making just enough plays in a chaotic final minute to secure the win.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the final 30 seconds, a sequence of free throws, timeouts, and critical misses that decided the outcome. With Old Dominion clinging to a 70-68 lead, Appalachian State’s Alonzo Dodd was fouled on a drive with 24 seconds remaining. After a full timeout, Dodd calmly sank both free throws to tie the game.

On the ensuing inbound, Old Dominion’s Jordan Battle was fouled with 15 seconds left. Battle, who led all scorers with 25 points, made the first free throw to put the Monarchs ahead 71-70 but missed the second. Appalachian State secured the rebound and pushed the ball upcourt, but Kasen Jennings missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining.

Old Dominion’s Zacch Wiggins grabbed the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled with four seconds on the clock. Wiggins made the first free throw for a 72-70 lead but missed the second. Another scramble ensued, and Dodd was fouled on a desperation heave with three-tenths of a second left, sending him to the line for three shots with a chance to win or force overtime.

After Appalachian State used its final timeout, Dodd made the first two free throws to knot the score at 72. His third attempt, however, rimmed out. Old Dominion’s Donovan Raymond secured the rebound as time expired, but a foul was called on the Mountaineers’ Eren Banks during the scrum, sending the Monarchs back to the line with no time left.

Wiggins returned to the stripe and sank the first free throw to break the tie. He intentionally missed the second, and the clock ran out on the Mountaineers’ remarkable comeback bid.

The game was a tale of two diametrically opposed halves. Old Dominion dominated the first period, shooting 51.7% from the field and connecting on 7 of 13 from 3-point range while holding Appalachian State to a dismal 6-of-28 shooting performance. The Monarchs built their large lead behind Battle’s 14 first-half points and a defense that forced nine Mountaineer turnovers.

The second half was a complete inversion. Sparked by Dodd, who scored 21 of his 27 points after halftime, Appalachian State attacked the paint and the offensive glass with abandon. The Mountaineers opened the half on a 17-4 run to cut the deficit to six and continued to chip away, finally drawing even at 59-59 on a Dodd layup with 4:03 to play.

Appalachian State’s Luke Wilson, who had 11 points and three blocks, provided a major interior presence during the rally. The Mountaineers finished with a 40-22 advantage in points in the paint and a 13-6 edge in fast-break points, most generated in the second half.

For Old Dominion, Battle added four assists to his 25 points. LJ Thomas contributed nine points and four assists, while Jared Turner and Zacch Wiggins each added nine points off the bench. The Monarchs, despite being outrebounded 38-26 and allowing nine offensive boards, won the game at the 3-point line, making 11 to Appalachian State’s six.

Dodd’s stellar performance for the Mountaineers included nine assists. Kasen Jennings added 17 points.

The victory improved Old Dominion to 6-14 overall and 3-4 in Sun Belt play, snapping a two-game skid. Appalachian State fell to 11-9 and 4-3.

Old Dominion returns home to face Troy on Wednesday. Appalachian State hosts Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday.