By Harry Minium
The Old Dominion women's basketball team came to Frisco, Texas with the shortest bench and surely the most heart.
Playing their fourth game in four nights, with their typical grit and determination, the Monarchs staged a dramatic rally, trimming an 11-point lead to one in the final 4:55.
However, they missed five of six free throws in the final 29.6 seconds and allowed tournament favorite Rice to escape with a 62-60 victory in the Conference USA tournament semifinals Friday night in the Ford Center at The Star.
ODU (13-11) trailed by 15 in the third quarter and appeared to be headed to defeat with 4:55 left, when Sydne Wiggins made a fallaway three-point shot to give Rice an 11-point lead.