NORFOLK, Va. – (Courtesy of ODU Athletics) It was Senior Night and the Old Dominion men’s basketball team played with a ton of energy and passion, but on an evening when they could not put the ball in the basket, it wasn’t quite enough.

Georgia State held off a late ODU run and claimed a 76-70 victory over the Monarchs before a Chartway Arena crowd of 6,805.

ODU took 21 more shots than Georgia State but made just 28 of 82 (34.1%) and just 10 of 33 (30.1%) from beyond the three-point arc.

It was the fifth loss in a row for the Monarchs (11-18 overall, 7-9 Sun Belt Conference), but this game was far different than the game nine days earlier in Atlanta between the two teams in which the Panthers rolled to a 97-75 victory.

“We came in with a different mindset and were just ready to compete,” said R.J. Blakney, who along with Sean Durogordon and Imo Essien, were seniors feted in pre-game ceremonies.

“They’re a physical team. We had to take the fight to them, and I think we did that collectively.”

The game began with an emotional moment as Essien, the senior guard from Wylie, Texas, dressed out for the first time this season. Essien has dealt with fainting issues and after he lost consciousness in ODU’s first preseason practice, doctors recommended that he retire.

He has remained on the team as a coach of sorts.

Georgia State Head Coach Jonas Hayes agreed to ODU’s proposal for the Panthers to win the opening tip, and then for Essien to foul Malachi Brown and thus stop the clock.

That allowed Essien to receive a standing ovation as well as handshakes and hugs from his teammates.

ODU Head Coach Mike Jones walked into the ODU press room with eyes reddened from tears.

“What we did for Imo, it was the least we could do for him,” Jones said. “We met last March and talked about all of his hopes for this season and he worked so hard in the offseason to get ready.

“And then to get to the first day of practice and it just gets snatched like that. I feel for the young man. He’s been such a huge part of everything that we’ve done this year.”

Georgia State (13-16, 8-8) led nearly the entire game, but unlike many recent ODU losses, the Monarchs kept this one close throughout. Georgia State’s largest lead was nine points, five minutes into the game.

ODU finally took the lead for the first time, 63-62, on a Durogordon follow shot with 4:25 left. And although the Panthers scored six unanswered points to retake the lead, freshman Scott Hubbard made a three-point shot to narrow the lead to two, 68-66, with 1:43 left.

Durugordon twice missed shots that would have tied the score and then came what was likely the key play of the game – with 26 seconds left, Jelani Hamilton tipped in a shot missed by Zarique Nutter.

The ball appeared to be on the rim when Hamilton put it back in and Jones pleaded for a goaltending call to no avail.

“These officials were locked in and called a great game,” Jones said. “I thought we had a great whistle.”

But he thought they missed goaltending. “I wish they had called goaltending,” he said. “If you call it, you can review it and correct it if it was a mistake.

“But if you don’t call it, you can’t review it.”

ODU then turned the ball over and Hamilton made two foul shots to build the lead to six. The Monarchs were forced to foul and Georgia State made four of four in the final seconds.

Durugordon led ODU with 16 points. Robert Davis Jr. added 13 and made three three-point shots to total 95 for the season, which is an ODU regular-season record.

Hubbard had 11 points off the bench and Dani Pounds, coming off an injury, added 11.

 “It sucks that we weren’t able to win tonight and get the opportunity to celebrate our seniors and send them out the right way,” Jones said.

ODU concludes the regular season with games Tuesday at Marshall and Friday at Coastal Carolina, and the heads to Pensacola, Florida for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament March 4-10.

“We have to keep working,” Jones said. “We have two road games left and we need to do everything we can to win them. There are seedings for the tournament that haven’t been decided and we’re right in the middle of that.”