HARTFORD, Conn.
It was a magical season for the Old Dominion basketball team.
The Monarchs won at No. 25 Syracuse, spanked archrival VCU at home and swept three games, and the Conference USA championship, from a more talented Western Kentucky team.
And they did it all with a coach waging a courageous fight with prostate cancer.
But the magic ended late Thursday night for coach Jeff Jones and the Monarchs as they succumbed to third-seeded Purdue, 61-48, in a first-round NCAA game in the XL Center.
ODU (26-9) played hard, and went toe-to-toe physically with the taller and more talented Boilermakers (24-10).