Old Dominion Hosts Regent in Men's Basketball Exhibition Nov. 4 at Chartway Arena

Old Dominion men’s basketball hosts Division III Regent in an exhibition game Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, the Monarchs’ second game of the 2026-27 season. The game airs on ESPN+, with Scott Jackson and Billy Mann calling, and radio coverage on ESPN Sports Radio 94.1 with Ted Alexander and Dennis Wolff, as odusports.com reported.

The Monarchs return to their home court just two days after opening the season with a 61-49 win over Western Michigan Monday night in the first round of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Wednesday’s matchup marks the first-ever meeting between ODU and the Royals, and it counts as an exhibition for Regent, meaning it won’t factor into either team’s official record.

A Season Opener That Belonged to Zacch Wiggins

Monday’s victory over the Broncos gave Norfolk a first look at what this ODU team can do when Zacch Wiggins takes over. Zacch Wiggins scored 19 of his career-best 25 points after halftime, taking control of a game that had slipped away — Western Michigan opened the second half on a 13-0 run to seize a 37-30 lead while the Monarchs went scoreless for the first five minutes.

Bubu Benjamin chipped in nine points with four rebounds, two assists, and three steals, and Jared Turner finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Nine different Monarchs scored, and the team shot 44.6% from the field, 26.7% from three-point range, and 53.8% at the free-throw line. Head coach Mike Jones, now in his third season in Norfolk, improved to 28-41 with the win.

Old Dominion Hosts Regent in Men's Basketball Exhibition Nov. 4 at Chartway Arena

Regent Arrives After a Rough Night at Norfolk State

The Royals come into Wednesday winless, having fallen 68-45 at Norfolk State on Monday night. Regent trailed 35-15 at halftime but was only outscored 33-30 in the second half. Sophomore guard Chase Mullen of Virginia Beach led the team with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting, adding six rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes off the bench. Mullen is the son of the late Mario Mullen, who played at ODU from 1992-96 and was part of the 1995 CAA Championship team. Antoine Brown added seven points, while starters Joshua Hanna, Christian Brown, and Chauncey Gilliam scored six apiece. As a team, Regent shot 33.3% from the field and 19.2% from the perimeter.

Barry Hollenbeck, promoted to head coach on March 4 after two seasons as associate head coach, leads a squad picked to finish fifth in the Coast-to-Coast Conference preseason poll. The Royals return Antoine Brown, the program’s second all-time leading scorer, along with his brother Christian and several other veterans. Regent — which went 6-18 last season, including 4-5 at home — hosts Penn State Altoona for its official season opener Sunday, November 8.

Where the Challenge Stands Between the Conferences

Wednesday’s game also sits inside the fourth season of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge, the cross-conference event that opened with Monday’s slate. The Sun Belt Conference owns a combined 41-33 record against MAC opponents through the first three years of the Challenge, capturing the inaugural title in 2023-24 at 15-9. The conferences split the 2024-25 crown at 12-12, and last season the Sun Belt edged the MAC 14-12. On Monday, MAC schools went 7-5 against Sun Belt competition, with Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, and Georgia Southern all winning.

How to Watch, Listen, and Get Tickets

Tip-off is 7 p.m. Fans can stream on ESPN+, listen on ESPN Sports Radio 94.1, and follow live stats online. Single-game tickets went on sale October 8, with a presale for season ticket holders and ODAF members beginning October 1. Men’s basketball season tickets covering all 19 home games start at $226, and group packages are available through the ODU ticketing office. Bon Secours is the presenting sponsor of the 2026-27 men’s basketball season.

After Wednesday, the Monarchs hit the road for the first time this season Saturday, traveling to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania for a 5 p.m. meeting with Bucknell.

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