Jan. 22, 2006
NORFOLK, Va. -- Senior Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) and junior Sherida Triggs (Norcross, Ga.) both posted double-doubles as the Old Dominion women's basketball team earned a 72-63 over James Madison Sunday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Old Dominion won its sixth straight and moved above .500 for the first time this season. The Lady Monarchs now stand at 8-7 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association. James Madison, who was picked second in the Preseason Poll behind the 14-time CAA champions, fell to 12-4 overall and 4-3 in the league race.
Davis notched her second double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Additionally, she went 2-of-2 from the free throw line and added in five assists and four steals. Triggs, coming off a career-high 22 point performance Friday night against George Mason, performed her second straight double-double, this time pouring in 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Four Dukes were in double figures with Meredith Alexis leading the way with 16 points and a team-high nine boards. Tamera Young who fouled out with 1:32 left in the game, had 15 points and Shirley McCall added in 12.
Seven lead changes ensued in the opening minutes of the game and with the score knotted at 16-16, the Lady Monarchs made their first run. Outscoring the Dukes 12-2, Old Dominion took hold of its first double-digit lead with a 28-18 edge with 9:14 left in the half.
The Lady Monarchs double figure lead quickly dissipated though, as over the next three minutes James Madison would pull to within three. The Dukes scored seven unanswered points, including five by Young, to close the gap to 28-25 with 4:05 on the clock. After trading buckets, Alexis converted the traditional three-point play as Old Dominion was holding on to a two-point lead, 32-30, with 3:22 remaining until the half.
Old Dominion responded with another run. The Lady Monarchs scored seven straight points to bump its advantage to nine, 39-30, with 1:16 remaining in the half and ended the first stanza up 39-34.
Within the first two minutes of the second-half, Old Dominion reclaimed its nine point lead and proceeded to lead by as many as 13. Triggs hit the second free throw of a two shot award to give the Lady Monarchs its largest lead, 53-40, with 12:37 to go.
Up 61-51 with 7:11 left in the game, James Madison managed to erase another double figure deficit. Young and Dickinson both connected twice at the line and a drive to the basket by Alexis had the Dukes trailing by only four, 61-57. However, a fast-break by sophomore Shahida Williams and a lay-up by fellow classmate T.J. Jordan quickly put Old Dominion ahead by eight with four minutes left. The Dukes would get no closer than six in the game's final minutes.
The Lady Monarchs hit the road for their next two games. Old Dominion travels to Hofstra Friday night to close out the season series with the Pride. They also travel to Towson for their lone meeting with the Tigers this season.