Dec. 30, 2006
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team returned to the win column on Saturday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center with a 72-55 victory over Rutgers, a team receiving votes in both national polls.
The win snaps a three-game ODU losing streak as the Lady Monarchs improve to 4-7 now heading into the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) portion of its schedule. It was the first game in seven tries that that Old Dominion walked away the winner in teams either ranked or receiving votes in the Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today polls. The Scarlet Knights meanwhile fell to .500 at 5-5 still looking for its first road victory. Rutgers is 0-3 on the road, 2-1 in neutral site games and 3-1 in home games.
The visiting Scarlet Knights held a 12-point, 25-13, lead with 5:41 left in the first before the Lady Monarch came storming back. Senior Sherida Triggs (Norcross, Ga.) sparked a 16-2 run with the traditional three-point play to tie the game at 29-29 with with 2:18 remaining in the half. Rutgers did manage to close out the half on a 6-0 run and entered the locker room ahead, 35-29.
Rutgers led by as many as eight in the second half, but after Brittany Ray hit a three to give the Scarlet Knights a 45-37 advantage with 16:52 left, Old Dominion took over the game. From that point, the Lady Monarchs would outscore the Scarlet Knights, 35-10.
Following Ray's three, Old Dominion went on a 17-2 run holding Rutgers without a field goal for over five minutes. Triggs, who went perfect from the line, returned the lead for good to Old Dominion hitting four consecutive free throws. Her final shot from the charity stripe gave Old Dominion a 48-47 lead at the 12:59 mark and from there the lead only grew for the Lady Monarchs.
After Triggs' points from the line, Old Dominion went ahead by seven, 54-47, before Rutgers' Kia Vaughan finally put an end to their scoring drought. The Scarlet Knights would only score six more points in the game over the final 9:50. Down the strech Rutgers was held to only one field goal and shot just 4-of-10 from the free throw line.
Old Dominion shot 47.9 percent (23-of-48) for the game including a blistering 52.2 percent (12-of-23) in the second half. Rutgers was held to 22.2 percent (6-of-27) shooting from floor in half number two after hitting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) in the first half.
The Lady Monarchs also had a hot hand from the free throw line. After shooting just 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from the charity stripe in the first half, Old Dominion connected on 78.3 percent (18-of-23) from the line in the second. Triggs hit 6-of-6, while sophomore Jazzmin Walters (Norfolk, Va,) went 4-of-4.
Triggs nearly collected a double-double as she poured in 14 points and hauled in nine rebounds.
Overall four Lady Monarchs registered double figures. Senior Tish Lyons (Newport News, Va.) came off the bench to tie Triggs with a team-high 14. Junior T.J. Jordan (Portsmouth, Va.) and sophomore Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.) each scored 10.
Rutgers freshman Epiphanny Prince led all scorers with 17, while Kia Vaughn added 16. Essence Carson, who entered the game averaging 10.3 points per game, was held scoreless.
The Lady Monarchs return to action in their first CAA contest of the season. Old Dominion travels to Virginia Commonwealth on Thurday, January 4th with tip-off at 7:00 p.m.