Jan. 5, 2006
Virginia Commonwealth/William & Mary Game Notes in PDF Format
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Game: Old Dominion at Virginia Commonwealth - Siegel Center - 7:00 p.m.
Old Dominion at William & Mary - Kaplan Arena - 2:00 p.m.
* Note Kaplan Arena was fomerly known as William & Mary Hall.
Livestats: Livestats are available at vcurams.vcu.edu
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 the Monarch All-Access pass at www.odusports.com.
About Old Dominion:The Lady Monarchs enter the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) portion of its schedule this weekend traveling to Virginia Commonwealth and William and Mary. Old Dominion closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule 2-7, but among the seven losses are three top 10 teams and six teams either ranked or receiving votes in the polls. The Lady Monarchs have dropped their last three outings, but their last two have really made people know that Old Dominion's record does not nessicarly reflect the product on the floor. The Lady Monarchs took #5 North Carolina to overtime and kept within six points late in the second half against top-ranked Tennessee. The Lady Monarchs, who have the toughest schedule in the nation according to the College Basketball's RPI report, feel their non-conference schedule has prepared them well as they defend their 14-time CAA crown.
About Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams enter Friday night's game with a 7-3 overall mark and are winners of their last three contests - Belmont, Norfolk State, and Radford. Virginia Commonwealth already has one CAA game under their belt with a 54-69 loss at the hands of James Madison up in Harrisonburg. Freshman forward Quanitra Hollingsworth and sophomore forward Krystal Vaughn both lead the Rams in scoring averaging 13.2 points per game. Junior guard Michele Cosel is the Rams' other double figure scoring with 10.3 points per game. Hollingsworth also leads Virginia Commonwealth on the boards with 10.8 rebounds per game. A Hampton Roads native from Chesapeake who played scholastically at Great Bridge, Hollingsworth is only 17 years old. She has been the Rams' leading rebounder in all but one game thus far this season.
The Series With Virginia Commonwealth: The Lady Monarchs hold a 46-8 record in the all-time series with the Rams with Old Dominion winning the last four outings and 23 of the last 24. The Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth rivalry dates back to the 1969-70 season where the two teams squared off against each other each season until 1979. The rivalry renewed when Virginia Commonwealth joined Old Dominion in the Sun Belt Conference and continued when the Rams joined the CAA for the 1995-96 season. More recently, the Rams snapped a 35-game CAA win streak back on February 6th, 2003 at the Siegel Center. Old Dominion fell, 56-67, in their first CAA loss in nearly two years. Since then, the Lady Monarchs have rattled off four straight wins over Virginia Commonwealth, including last year's 78-59 win at the Constant Center and a 62-51 win at the Siegel Center.
Last Time Vs. Virginia Commonwealth: Forward Sherida Triggs' then career-high 19 points propelled the Old Dominion women's basketball team to a 62-51 victory over in-state rival Virginia Commonwealth at the Seigel Center to sweep the regular season series back on February 3rd, 2005. Leading by one, 28-27, at the half, the Lady Monarchs outscored the Rams 34-24 in half number two holding Virginia Commonwealth scoreless over the final 6:21 of the game. With the score tied at 10-10 with 12:56 left in the first half, Triggs' ignited the Lady Monarchs on a 7-0 run which would give Old Dominion a lead it would never relinquish. However, the Rams would not go away quietly, chipping the deficit down to two within the next three minutes. Back and forth the two teams would go with Old Dominion upping their lead and Virginia Commonwealth closing the gap. In the closing minute of the half, the Lady Monarchs managed to extend their lead by as many as six, but Virginia Commonwealth closed the first stanza on a 5-1 run as Old Dominion held on to a slim one-point, 28-27, lead at intermission. Old Dominion held six-point leads on several occasions in the second half, but each time the Rams would climb back. Miranda Smith closed the Virginia Commonwealth gap to two, 51-53, with 6:21 remaining, but from there the Lady Monarchs' trademark defense would hold the Rams scoreless the rest of the way. During that span, Old Dominion netted nine unanswered points to end the night with the 62-51 win. Three Lady Monarchs reached double digits led by Trigss' career-high 19. Former Lady Monarch guard Shareese Grant netted 16 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 performance from the line. Davis finished the night with 11. The Rams had one in double figures with Meagan Evans scoring 11 points. Old Dominion once again controlled the glass outrebounding the Rams, 47-41. Megan Pym led the way from off the bench with a game-high eight boards.
About William & Mary: The Tribe will travel to Atlanta, Georgia on Friday night before hosting the Lady Monarchs on Sunday afternoon. Entering the game against the Panthers, William & Mary is 4-6 overall, including a loss in their CAA opener to UNC-Wilmington, 45-52, in North Carolina. The Tribe is looking to snap a two-game losing streak which includes a loss to a common opponent. William & Mary fell 66-92 to Vanderbilt, the same squad which Old Dominion lost 77-82 to, despite having a 16-point lead in the second half. Forward Kyra Kaylor, who missed last season with injury, has come back to the hardwood strong and leads the Tribe averaging 18.1 points per game. Against the Seahawks, Kaylor poured in 21 points. Additionally, Kaylor leads William & Mary on the boards with 11.4 per contest. The Tribe's second leading scorer is sophomore Devin James with 10.0 points per game.
The Series With William & Mary: Old Dominion holds the all-time series 40-3. The Tribe has not defeated the Lady Monarchs in 29 years with William & Mary's last victory over Old Dominion coming back in the 1975-76 season with an 89-53 win. Since then the Lady Monarchs have been winners of the last 38 contests, including last year's 77-59 win at the Constant Center and a 68-50 victory on the Tribe's home court.
Last Time vs. William & Mary: Lawona Davis' second career double-double helped propel the Old Dominion women's basketball team to a 68-50 victory over the Tribe of William & Mary back on February 20, 2005. Davis netted a team-high 17 points and hauled in 10 rebounds as one of two Lady Monarchs in double figures. Sophomore Shantel Wilson was the other with a then career-high 10 points. The Lady Monarch defense held the Tribe to just 15 field goals total as William & Mary shot just 24.2% from the floor, but former Tribe member Kyle DeHaven was able to net a game-high 18 points. DeHaven was joined in double figures by Devin James and Jalen Boone, who contributed 11 and 10 points respectively. Davis, who poured in first career double-double in February 6th's win over Towson at the Constant Center arrived at the game just 45 minutes before tip-off. She posted a season-high four steals and dished three assists. William and Mary got as close as 11-10 in the early part of the first half. However, ODU began a 12-0 run to open its lead to 23-10. The Lady Monarchs held a 38-20 lead at the half. In the first half, Old Dominion outshot the Tribe 48.5% (16-33) to 18.4% (7-38). The second half would prove to be more of the same, as the Lady Monarchs protected their lead and expanded it to 23 on three separate occasions. Old Dominion, who ranked third in the nation in rebounding margin in that week in NCAA statistics, outrebounded the Tribe 49-38.
Old Dominion In CAA Openers: The Lady Monarchs are undefeated in CAA openers since they joined the conference in 1991-92. Friday's game will mark the third time in history the Lady Monarchs have opened conference competition against the Rams. Old Dominion opened the 1993-94 CAA slate with an 80-49 win at the ODU Fieldhouse and earned a 71-54 win in Richmond in 1994-95.
It Began With #1...It Ended With #1: Old Dominion holds a rare distinction of opening and closing its non-conference schedule with the #1 team in the nation. The 2005-06 season began against the nation's #1 Duke on November 20th and closed it against #1 Tennessee on January 2nd with radically different endings. The Lady Monarchs lost to the Blue Devils, 56-93, but were still dealing with a season-ending injury to Tamara Ransburg and learned that Second Team Preseason All-CAA selection would miss at least six weeks a day before the day. On the second go-around, the Lady Monarchs suffered a 67-83 defeat, but that wasn't before giving the Lady Vols a scare, trailing only by six midway through the second half.