Dec. 30, 2002
NORFOLK, VA -- Senior guard Okeisha Howard (Va. Beach, VA) scored a season-high 20 points and added five assists on Monday night as the Old Dominion women's basketball team topped N.C. State 79-55 in non-conference action at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
The win gives ODU their first back-to-back wins of the season and improves their record to 3-4 while N.C. State dropped back under .500 to 5-6 and had their two-game winning streak snapped. The 24-point victory was also the largest Old Dominion win over the Wolfpack since a 23-point win back on December 21, 1985, 59-66 in the Winston Tire Classic.
In all, five Lady Monarchs scored in double figures. Junior Myriah Spence (Espanola, New Mexico) and senior captain Kim Giddens (Painter, VA) also notched season-highs on the night with 17 and 10 points respectively. Redshirt junior Max Nhassengo (Maputo, Mozambique) provided a spark off the bench, just missing a double-double with nine points and 11 boards, with 10 coming off the defensive glass. She also dished out a career-high six assists.
N.C. State guard Kaayla Chones, who entered the evening as the team's leading scorer with an average of 18.5 points, was held under double digits for the first time this season, totaling only four first-half points.
The Lady Monarchs outscored the Wolfpack 24-8 in the final 11:38 of the first half to take a commanding 35-18 lead in the locker room. No N.C. State player scored more than four points in the first 20 minutes as ODU held them to 27 percent (8-of-30) shooting. Howard had 15 first half points, going 3-of-4 from three-point land, including two in back-to back possessions to give ODU a nine point advantage, 25-16, at the 5:15 mark.
In the second half the Lady Monarchs continued their dominating performance, expanding their half time lead to as many as 27 points with just under eight minutes to play. The Wolfpack were able to mount a small comeback, but they were only able to get as close as 18 after a Terah James layup with 2:16 left.
For the game ODU shot 48% (33-of-69) from field and a season-high 54% (7-of-13) from beyond the arc. Their seven three pointers, four by Howard, was also a season-best.
The Lady Monarchs return to the court on January 3rd, 2003 as they start CAA conference play against 2002 CAA runner-up UNC-Wilmington. Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m.