Nov. 28, 2005
Penn State Game Notes in PDF Format
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Game: Old Dominion vs. Penn State - Ted Constant Convocation Center - 7:00 p.m.
Livestats: Livestats available at www.odusports.com or by clicking here.
Television: The game will air live on Comcast SportsNet (Ch. 35 - Hampton Roads) and WPSU (State College). John Castleberry will call the play-by-play and will be join by former ODU head coach Marianne Stanley on color.
Radio: ESPN Radio - 1310 AM - Join 13-time Sportscaster of the Year as Tony Mercurio calls all the action live. He will be joined by ODU Hall of Famer and former Lady Monarch Jan Trombly on color during all home games.
Internet: Live audio of the ESPN 1310 broadcast is available via theMonarch All-Access pass at www.odusports.com.
About Old Dominion: The Lady Monarchs are looking put their 0-2record behind them and look to Tuesday's home game against Penn State for their first win of the 2005-06 season. Old Dominion fell 56-93 to #1/2 Duke and had only one day off in between before heading to Blacksburg,Virginia to face the Virginia Tech Hokies. Senior guard Lawona Davis notched her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore T.J. Jordan came off the bench for a game-high 18 to spearhead a late Lady Monarch rally as Old Dominion came up just short of the comeback in the 76-69 loss to Virginia Tech. Trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, Old Dominion was able to close to within three in the closing minutes. Old Dominion's second half rally was not the only one of the game. The Lady Monarchs overcame a 13-point deficit with 3:25 remaining in the first half to close on a 13-4 run and enter the locker room down only, 39-35. Davis scored nine of her 11 points in the second half. Typically known for driving to the basket, she opened the secondhalf draining back-to-back threes. Jordan shot both 50 percent from the floor and from beyond the arc. She shot 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from downtown. Two other Lady Monarchs joined Davis and Jordan indouble figures. Junior Paula Muxiri in her first career start poured in 11, as did junior Sherida Triggs. Triggs was one rebound shy of having her second straight double-double against the Hokies as she finished the night with nine.
About Penn State: Young is one adjective to describe the 2005-06version of the Lady Lions. Penn State returns just one starter in Amanda Brown and four letterwinners from last year's team which went 19-11 overall, 13-3 in BIG 10 action, and went on to the NCAA Tournament falling to Liberty in the first round. No seniors grace this year's roster and boast three juniors, three sophomores, and four freshmen. Brown, a 6-4 junior, averaged 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a season ago. Today she leads the team with 15.7 points and 7.3 boards per outing. Alltogether five Lady Lions are averaging double digits including Junior transfer from N.C. State Kamel Gissendanner (13.3), rookies Brianne O'Rourke (11.3) and Mashea Williams (10.7), and sophomore Adrienne Squire (10.3). The Lady Lions enter the Ted Constant Convocation Center 1-2 with the lone victory coming last Tuesday in Pittsburgh with a 81-62 victory over Duquesne. Penn State also opened the season against #1/2 Duke, falling 67-93, and also dropped a 59-62 contest to Villanova.
About Penn State: Old Dominion holds a 5-4 edge in the all-timeseries. The two teams have played each other annually the last six years and have traded between the win-loss columns. The Lady Monarchs won the first three meetings starting with a 95-67 victory at the Coca-ColaWomen's Classic in 1979 followed by NCAA victories in 1983 and 1984. Old Dominion fell 77-89 in December of 1998 before the current series began in the 2000-01 season at the State Farm Tip-Off Classic on a neutralcourt. Since then, its been the home team walking away with the win including ODU's first win over a ranked team at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Another One Joins The Rafters: Nancy Lieberman, Anne Donovan, Inge Nissen, Ticha Penicheiro, and Clarisse Machanguana will get some company up in the rafters of the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Prior to tip against Penn State the Old Dominion athletic department will retire Tracy Claxton's #15, the sixth women's basketball jersey to be retired. Claxton spent two seasons at Kansas before transferring toOld Dominion in 1983. During her two seasons, Old Dominion went 55-8 culminating as Tournament MVP at the 1985 NCAA Championship. The 6-1 forward from New Haven, Connecticut is sixth on Old Dominion's all-time scoring leaders list just shy of the 2,000 point mark with 1,999 careerpoints. Her 1434 career rebounds place her third on the all-time list . Claxton scored a career high 28 points against UCLA and grabbed 20 rebounds twice during her career, the first against Long Beach State in 1984, and the second in the 1985 NCAA final against Georgia. Her 37 rebounds collected during the national semifinals and finals are still at Final Four record 20 years later. Overall, she performed the double-double 37 times. Claxton earned All-District honors in 1984 and 1985 and she was named All-American in 1984 and 1985 by the National Sports Federation. She graduated from ODU in 1985 with a degree in Health and Physical Education.
Number Change: You may remember junior Shantel Wilson wearing #15 the last two seasons. However Wilson changed her jersey number to lucky #13 due to the retirement of Tracy Claxton's jersey.
December 1st Deadline For NCAA Ticket Discount: Old Dominion season ticket holders have until Dec. 1 to purchase tickets to receive a $10 discount off the general admission tournament book. Tournament books are now priced at only $35 for season ticket holders through Dec. 1, which includes admission to 4 games on Sunday, March 21 and two games on Tuesday, March 21. If the Lady Monarchs advance to the tournament,they will be guaranteed to play at the Constant Center.Old Dominion will once again host the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First andSecond Rounds at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in March. While the Ted Constant Convocation Center has played host to the First and Second Rounds in 2003 and the Regional in 2004, this year's tournament isthe second year of using the new format with eight teams coming to the Tidewater area to vying for two spots in the "Sweet 16". The first round will take place on Sunday, March 19th and the second round will be played on Tuesday, March 21st. Call the ticket office today at 683- 4444 for more information.
I Wanna Be Like Mike: T.J. Jordan has come off the Lady Monarchbench to lead the team in scoring in the first two games of the season. Against #1/2 Duke, the sophomore guard tallied 17 points shooting 7-of-8 from the field and playing a game-high 30 minutes. She followed by shooting both 50 percent from the field and three-point land in Tuesday's loss at Virginia Tech. Collecting a game-high 18 points she shot 6-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. She leads the team in scoring at a 17.5 ppg clip and is shooting 37.5 from three-pointrange.
A Way To Start:Junior forward Paula Muxiri earned her first career start in last week's loss at Virginia Tech. After her line against #1/2 Duke in the season opener - 12 points, 5-8 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 3 steals - the coaching staff inserted into the line-up after serving as a primary reserve her first two seasons. Muxiri, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, joins Jordan as the Lady Monarchs other double digit scorer. The Luanda, Angola native is pouring in 11.5 points and shooting a team-best 57.1 percent from the floor.
Seeing Double: Senior Lawona Davis was the first Lady Monarch to perform the double-double as she had 11 points and a game-high 10 boards in last week's loss at Virginia Tech. The 10 boards tied her career high which occurred in meetings with CAA rivals Towson and William & Mary last season. Her double-double was the third of her career with the other two also coming against the Tigers and Tribe. Davis scored nine of her 11 points against the Hokies in the second half. Typically known for driving to the basket, sheopened the second half draining back-to-back three's.
Home Sweet Home: Since the doors opened at the Ted ConstantConvocation Center in 2002, the Lady Monarchs have enjoyed a 43-7 record. In fact it was Penn State the last time they came to Norfolk which gave the Lady Monarchs its first ranked victory at the Constant Center.
Ranked Wins At The Constant Center:
11/25/03 #7 Penn State W, 75-68
12/7/03 #12/13 UNC W, 73-68
12/5/04 #16/19 Rutgers W, 69-61
Losses At The Constant Center:
11/22/02 Virginia L, 55-63
1/7/03 #5 Tennessee L, 63-91
1/31/03 Rutgers L, 59-67
3/22/03 Boston College L, 72-73
1/2/05 #8 Tennessee L, 58-68
1/9/05 Delaware L, 70-73
11/20/05 #1/2 Duke L, 56-93
To Be The Best...You Play The Best: The Lady Monarchs embark on perhaps its toughest schedule in school history in 2005- 06. Four top 10 teams, seven NCAA squads, and two WNIT participants from a year ago,the new expanded 12-team CAA and 13 homes dates highlight this year's schedule. The season opened against Duke and includes three other Top 10 teams in Tennessee, Rutgers, and North Carolina. Vanderbilt, another ranked team will also come to the Constant Center.
Up Next: The Lady Monarchs will host Vanderbilt on Sunday.