CONWAY, S.C. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant opening act and a frantic, contested finish, the Old Dominion Monarchs snapped a three-game losing streak by holding off the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 70-66 in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at the HTC Center.

The victory, secured before an announced crowd of 1,302, avenged a two-point home loss to Coastal Carolina just over two weeks prior and was built upon a stifling first-half defensive performance. Old Dominion established control early and never fully relinquished it, despite a relentless second-half push from the Chanticleers.

The Monarchs set the tone from the opening tip, racing to a 28-24 halftime lead. That margin, however, belied the defensive stranglehold Old Dominion imposed. Coastal Carolina was held to just seven made field goals in the first half on 29 attempts, a frigid 24.1 percent. The Chanticleers’ 24 first-half points were a season low for a Monarchs’ opponent.

Old Dominion’s interior presence was pivotal. The Monarchs outrebounded Coastal Carolina 45-33 overall and dominated the offensive glass 12-4, leading to a 28-20 advantage in points in the paint. Seven-foot sophomore Caelum Swanton-Rodger of Calgary, Alberta, was a central figure in the early surge, scoring six of his 10 points in the game’s opening minutes while adding two blocks and two steals before halftime.

While the first half was a defensive clinic, the second half evolved into an offensive duel, particularly between Old Dominion’s Robert Davis and Coastal Carolina’s backcourt duo. The Chanticleers found their rhythm after the break, matching the Monarchs with 42 points in the period, but could never overcome the initial deficit.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minutes. After Coastal Carolina’s Braeden MacVicar, a reserve from Port Williams, Nova Scotia, buried a three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining to cut the Old Dominion lead to 62-59, the Monarchs responded. Following a missed Chanticleer three-pointer that would have tied the game, Old Dominion worked the ball inside to Davis, who delivered a crucial dunk with 1:50 left to extend the lead to 64-59.

Coastal Carolina’s Joshua Beadle answered with a jumper to make it 64-61, but the Monarchs managed the clock and secured the win at the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds, despite shooting just 5 for 13 from the stripe overall. The Chanticleers had a chance to tie in the final 10 seconds, but a RaSheed Jones jumper missed, and Old Dominion’s LJ Thomas secured the defensive rebound to effectively seal the outcome.

Davis, a junior guard from Detroit, was the offensive engine for Old Dominion, scoring a game-high 29 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including three three-pointers. His performance was a marked increase from his recent outings, providing the scoring punch the Monarchs desperately needed. Ketron Shaw added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Coastal Carolina was led by Beadle, a sophomore from Columbia, South Carolina, who scored 18 points, and Reggie Hill, who added 16, all in the second half. The Chanticleers were more efficient from distance, making 10 of 24 three-point attempts compared to Old Dominion’s 7 of 21, and shot 14 of 18 from the free-throw line. However, their inability to score inside or secure defensive rebounds consistently proved decisive.

Defensively, Old Dominion forced 12 turnovers, converting them into 14 points, and recorded seven steals. Coastal Carolina’s Nadjrick Peat provided a rim-protecting presence with four blocks.

With the win, Old Dominion improved to 5-12 overall and 1-3 in the Sun Belt. Coastal Carolina fell to 8-9 and 1-3. The Monarchs will look to build momentum with a quick turnaround, traveling to face James Madison on Saturday. Coastal Carolina will host Appalachian State that same day.