Feb. 4, 2007
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Junior T.J. Jordan (Portmouth, Va.) led the Lady Monarchs with 19 points and classmate Megan Pym (Newfield, N.Y.) and senior Sherida Triggs (Norcross, Ga.) hit a crucial jumpers in the closing minute to help the seal a 69-62 victory over the Hofstra Pride Sunday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.
The win improves Old Dominion to 13-8 overall and 9-1 in Colonial Athletic Association. The Lady Monarchs notch their third series sweep of the year, which have also included Drexel and Virginia Commonwealth. Hofstra meanwhile falls to 16-6 overall and 6-5 in the CAA.
The Lady Monarchs led by as much as 13 in the second half and were leading 63-52 with 5:37 left in the game. The Pride followed by going on an 8-0 run to pull within three with a mere 1:28 left in the game. Pym's pull up jumper at the free throw line put Old Dominion up by five, but the Pride's Cigi McCollin got to the hole on the trip back down the court to once again cut the ODU lead to three with 52 seconds remaining. On the next possesion, Triggs got underneath the basket and in the midst of Hofstra defenders manage to put the ball up and over the rim to seal the win with 24 seconds left.
Following Triggs' lay-up, the Pride missed two shots and were forced to foul the reast of the way. Jordan, who finished the afternoon with six points, added in two insurance points from the stripe for the final margin.
Old Dominion held a 40-26 advantage at the half, with the 40 points tying the most points scored in a first half this season. The Lady Monarchs held a 40-28 lead against Virginia Commonwealth back on January 4th in its 81-70 CAA opening victory.
Triggs joined Jordan in the double figure category with 14 points. Triggs and sophomore Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.) both hauled in a team-high six boards as ODU was outrebounded, 43-36.
Lana Harshaw registered a game-high 23 points as one of three Pride members in double figures. Vanessa Gidden, who was held to just one point in the first meeting with the Lady Monarchs, registered 16 points while McCollin added in 10. Both Harshaw and Gidden both narrowly missed double-doubles grabbing nine rebounds along with Lizanne Murphy.
Sophomore Jazzmin Walters (Norfolk, Va.) cracked the top 10 sophomore assists leaders list with her four dishes. She is currently tied with Amanda Levins (1998-99) with 79 assists in her second year in the ODU uniform in the tenth spot. She needs nine more to move past Mery Andrade (1995-96) into ninth place.
The Lady Monarchs have one more game left in their three-game road swing. Old Dominion heads to Northeastern on Thursday, February 8th. It will be the first trip to the Huskies' home floor of Solomon Court in Boston.