Jan. 28, 2007
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team kept CAA Preseason Player Kyra Kaylor in check, holding her to two points total, as they collected their ninth straight victory in Sunday's 63-47 win over William & Mary Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Old Dominion improved to 12-7 overall and 8-0 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play as they head into Thursday's showdown for first place at James Madison. William & Mary meanwhile falls to 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the CAA with their two-game win streak coming to a halt.
The game opened with the Lady Monarchs holding the Tribe without a bucket for seven and half minutes as they raced out to a 15-0 lead. Devin James finally stopped the Tribe's scoring drought with a jumper at the 12:27 mark, two of her team-high 12 points. William & Mary didn't reach double figure until 2:51 left in the half. Old Dominion held a 31-18 lead at intermission.
The Tribe's Tiffany Benson put a lay-up up and in to open the second of action to cut the William & Mary deficit to 11 at 31-20, but the Tribe would not get any closer. The Lady Monarchs led by as many as 18 in the second half.
The Lady Monarchs hauled in a season-high 57 rebounds and were led by the 15-board effort by sophomore Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.) and 10-board performance of junior Tay Ransburg (Kansas City, Mo.). Green's 15 rebounds tied her career mark which also occured Drexel on February 15, 2005.
The defensive effort held William & Mary to just 28.6 percent (18-of-63) from the floor, the lowest an ODU opponent has shot this season. Old Dominion managed to outscored the Tribe bench, 31-2.
Sophomore Jazzmin Walters (Norfolk, Va.) poured in 12 points to lead the lady Monarchs. Senior Tish Lyons (Newport News, Va.) added in 10 from off the bench, along six assist to tie her career-high.
James and Benson both had 12 points in the loss for William & Mary. Benson posted her first career double-double by hauling in 11 boards. Sarah Stroh added in 10.
Kaylor, coming off a career-high equaling 30 point night in Thursday's victory at Georgia State, was held scoreless through the first half and didn't notch her first points until the 15:20 mark of the second half. Kaylor entered the game averaging 14.6 points per game and was ninth in the league in scoring.
Old Dominion returns to action on Thursday night in a battle for first place in the CAA. The Lady Monarchs travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia to take on James Madison at 7:00 p.m.. Old Dominion and James Madison are the only two teams remaining in the conference with unblemished conference records.
Note: The Lady Monarch radio broadcast of their Thursday, Feb. 1 contest at James Madison, will be moved from ESPN Radio 1310 to MaxMedia FM station, Star 94.1, at 7 p.m. The men's contest at conference rival Drexel at 7:00 p.m. will be heard on ESPN Radio 1310 (AM).