July 16, 2004
NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University women's basketball coach Wendy Larry announced the signing of six student-athletes who will join the Lady Monarch program beginning in the fall.
Tamara Ransburg, a transfer from the University of Kansas, and Chesapeake native Tiffany Green will be joining Megan Pym, Shahida Williams and Hampton Roads natives Jen Nuzzo and T.J. Jordan who signed with Old Dominion during the early signing period.
Pym averaged 18.8 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior and over 20 points per game as a senior for the Newfield Trojans in Newfield, New York. Additionally the 6-4 forward played with the New York City based Exodus, a Nike AAU squad that played against some of the best girls' high school basketball players in the nation. Rated third by NYCNJGIRLSHOOPS.COM, Pym was named a Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division II First Teamer.
Williams, a 5-11 forward, led Newark, NJ's Malcolm X Shabazz High School to a 32-1 record during her senior season averaging 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Williams helped her teams to three Essex County Tournament titles while Shabazz became the only girls team to win consecutive NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title. Additionally she was named the Newark Star-Ledger Player of the Year, Associated Press First Team All-New Jersey, and MVP of the Tournament of Champions.
Nuzzo, a 5-8 guard and Hampton Roads native, played for Woodside High School in Newport News, Va. and was a teammate of current Lady Monarch Tish Lyons. On the hardwood, Nuzzo helped her teams to the East Regional Semi-Finals for three consecutive seasons and was named the 2004 Peninsula Sports Club Female Athlete of the Year. She also earned team MVP honors and was placed on the Second Team all-district squad. Nuzzo was also a standout on the softball field as well as the Co-Region Player of the Year in 2004, three-time MVP, and three-time First Team all-district honoree.
Jordan, another Hampton Roads native from nearby Wilson High School in Portsmouth, led her school to its first ever Group AAA state tournament and an appearance in the championship game. Jordan was named the Virginia High School Coaches' Player of the Year after averaging 23.1 points per game during her senior campaign, connecting on 112 three-pointers, and accumulating 2,050 points during her career. The 5-8 guard was also named Virginia High School Coaches' Association First Team All-State and earned a spot on this summer's All-Star Team.
Green rounds out the trio of Hampton Roads natives joining the Old Dominion squad in the fall. The 6-2 forward from Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Va. averaged 13.9 points and 12 rebounds during senior season as she helped her team to the state championship semifinals. As a junior averaging 17.1 points and 17 boards, Green was named First Team Associated Press' All-Group AAA and Player of the Year after leading the Braves to a 32-1 record and an appearance in the state championship game. During her career she poured in 1,531 points.
Ransburg was a two-year member of the Kansas Jayhawk roster before transferring to Old Dominion. A 6-4 forward/center who played at Coastal Christian Academy in nearby Virginia Beach, she averaged 9.6 points per game in starting 19 of the Jayhawk's 27 games this past season. In two seasons Ransburg played 56 career games with 47 starts and averaged 10.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game. She ranked fourth all-time in Kansas history in blocked shots with 122 career rejections. In 2003-04, Ransburg was third on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounds (173), steals (55) and blocked shots (54). Ransburg will sit out the 2004-05 season due to NCAA transfer guidelines.
The six Lady Monarchs will join eight letterwinners, including two returning starters in Shareese Grant (Va. Beach, Va.) and Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, Fl.) along with returning 6-6 center Corrina Turner (Miami, Fl.). The 2003-04 Old Dominion women's basketball team concluded the season 25-7, captured an NCAA record 13th straight conference championship, and competed in their 21st NCAA Tournament appearance.