March 14, 2007
Game Notes in PDF Format
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NCAA Stat Pack in PDF Format
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2007 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket in PDF Format
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GAME WATCH:The game will be televised by ESPN at 11:00 a.m.(PST)/2:00 p.m. (EST) with Jimmy Dykes, Beth Mowins, and Allen Hopkins calling all the action. The game can also be heard live on ESPN Radio 1310 and via the internet with Monarch All-Access with Tony Mercurio on the play-by-play.
ODU IN THE NCAA'S:
The Lady Monarchs enter the NCAA Tournament as the seventh seed in the Fresno Region and will take on tenth seeded Florida State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Old Dominion captured the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title for the NCAA record 16th straight time to earn the automatic bid to appear in its 16th straight dance and 24th overall.
Old Dominion holds a 32-22 overall mark in the NCAA Tournament having captured the national title in 1985. The Lady Monarchs are looking for its first win in NCAA action since the 2002 season which saw Old Dominion advance to the "Elite Eight" before bowing out against eventual national champion Connecticut.
The Lady Monarchs have advanced to 11 "Sweet 16's", five "Elite Eights", and three "Final Fours."
Old Dominion's seven seed is the highest for the team since the 2002 season, which saw the Lady Monarchs dance their way to the "Elite Eight." That season Old Dominion defeated tenth-seeded Georgia in the first round (68-54) and then upset Purdue on the Boilmakers homecourt (74-70) in overtime and make its to Milwaukee where they downed third-seeded Kansas State (88-62). The magical run came to an end in the "Elite Eight" with a loss to eventual national champion Connecticut, who would finish the season undefeated with stars Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Swin Cash on its roster.
The Lady Monarchs are 5-3 against the NCAA Tournament field having faced two of the dance's top seeds in Tennessee and Duke. Old Dominion captured wins over Rutgers, James Madison, Delaware, East Carolina, and Delaware State. The losses came to the Lady Vols and Blue Devils as well as James Madison as they spilt the season series with the Dukes.
1982 - Sweet 16 - East Region - #2 Seed
St. Peter's - W, 75-42- Norfolk, Va.
Kansas State- L, 67-76 - Raleigh, NC
1983 - Final Four - East Region - #1 Seed
St. John's - W, 86-63 - Norfolk, Va.
Maryland - W, 74-57 - University Park, Pa.
Penn State - W, 74-60 - University Park, Pa.
La. Tech - L, 55-71 - Norfolk,Va.
1984 - Elite Eight - East Region - #1 Seed
Penn State - W, 87-65 -Norfolk, Va.
N.C. State - W, 73-71 - Norfolk, Va.
Cheyney State - L, 71-80 - Norfolk, Va.
1985 - National Champs - East Region - #2 Seed
Syracuse - W, 88-63 - Norfolk, Va.
N.C. State - W, 77-67 - Norfolk,Va.
Ohio State - W, 72-68 - Norfolk, Va.
N.E. La. - W, 57-47 - Austin,Texas
Georgia - W, 70-65 - Austin,Texas
1987 - Sweet 16 - Mideast Region - #5 Seed
North Carolina- W, 76-58 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
Auburn- L, 61-77 - Norfolk,Va.
1988 - 2nd Round - East Region - #6 Seed
Rutgers- L, 78-88 - Piscataway, N.J.
1989 - 2nd Round - Mideast Region - #6 Seed
Villanova - W, 66-41 - Norfolk,Va.
Mississippi - L, 58-74- University, Miss.
1990 - 2nd Round - East Region - #8 Seed
St. Joseph's - W, 91-69- Norfolk,Va.
Tennessee - L, 68-87 - Knoxville, Tenn.
1992 - 1st Round - East Region - #10 Seed
North Carolina- L, 54-60 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
1993 - 2nd Round - Mideast Region - #6 Seed
Tennessee Tech- W, 77-60 - Norfolk,Va.
Iowa - L, 56-82 - Norfolk,Va.
1994 - 2nd Round - Mideast Region - #6 Seed
St. Joseph's - W, 56-55 - Norfolk, Va.
North Carolina- L, 52-63 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
1995 - 1st Round - East Region - #8 Seed
Florida Int. - L, 76-81- Knoxville,Tenn.
1996 - Sweet 16 - East Region - #2 Seed
Holy Cross - W, 83-56 - Norfolk,Va.
Toledo- W, 72-66 - Norfolk,Va.
Virginia - L, 60-72 - Charlottesville, Va.
1997 - Finals - Mideast Region - #1 Seed
Liberty - W, 102-52 - Norfolk,Va.
Purdue (OT) - W, 69-65 - Norfolk,Va.
Louisiana State - W, 62-49 -W. Lafayette, Ind.
Florida - W, 53-52 - W. Lafayette, Ind.
Stanford (OT) - W, 83-82 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Tennessee - L, 59-68 - Cincinnati, Ohio
1998 - Sweet 16 - East Region - #1 Seed
St. Francis - W, 92-39 - Norfolk, Va.
Nebraska - W, 75-60 - Norfolk, Va.
NC State - L, 54-55 - Dayton, Ohio
1999 - Sweet 16 - East Region - #2 Seed
Tennessee Tech - W, 74-48 - Norfolk, Va.
Maine - W, 72-62 - Norfolk, Va.
Duke - L, 63-78 - Greensboro, N.C.
2000 - Sweet 16 - Midwest Region - #4 Seed
Wisconsin-Green Bay - W, 94-85 - Norfolk, Va.
Southern Methodist - W, 96-76 - Norfolk, Va.
Louisiana Tech- L, 74-86 - Kansas City, Mo.
2001 - 1st Round - West Region - #11 Seed
Washington - L, 65-67 - Gainesville, Fla.
2002 - Elite Eight - Mideast Region - #7 Seed
Georgia - W, 68-54 - W. Lafayette, Ind.
Purdue (OT) - W, 74-70 - W. Lafayette, Ind.
Kansas St. - W, 88-62 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
Connecticut - L, 64-85 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
2003 - 1st Round - East Region - #12 Seed
Boston College - L, 72-73 - Norfolk, Va.
2004 - 1st Round - Mideast Region - #8 Seed
Marquette - L, 64-67 - Durham, N.C.
2005 - 1st Round - Tempe Region - #11 Seed
Virginia - L, 57-79 - Minneapolis, Minn.
2006 - 1st Round - Cleveland Region - #10 Seed
George Washington - L, 72-87 - Norfolk, Va.
CHEERS FOR THE WOMEN...AND THE MEN: Not only is the Old Dominion women's basketball team continuing in the post-season, so is its men's team. Old Dominion is one of 12 schools to have both its men's and women's team playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Monarch men's basketball is an at-large selection and will meet fifth seed Butler on Thursday in Buffalo, NY. The Monarchs are a 12th seed in the Midwest Regional and it is their first at-large bid since 1986.
ODU IN THE CAA TOURNAMENT:
Since joining the CAA in the 1991-92 season, Old Dominion has captured the league tournament title each season and owns a 47-0 record in CAA Tournament action.
AND THEN YOU WIN SOME: Old Dominion is riding a 11-game win streak into the NCAA Tournament. It is tied for the fourth highest current win streak in the nation. Lady Monarch non-conference opponent Middle Tennessee State owns the distinction of having the longest winning streak in the nation at 26 games. Old Dominion fell at Middle Tennessee, 71-86 in Murfreesboro back on Dec. 19th.
POST-SEASON SUCCESS FOR THE CAA: The Lady Monarchs are one of three teams from the Colonial Athletic Association to be featured in this year's field of 64. It is the first time in conference history three teams will represent the CAA as James Madison and Delaware both received at-large bids. It is also the first time since 1996 the CAA has garnered an at-large berth to the tournament. Hofstra has also made the post-season receiving an invite to the WNIT. Including the men's side, the CAA has eight teams in the post-season (2 - men's NCAA, 3 - women's NCAA, 2 - men's NIT, 1 - women's NIT).
NCAA TOURNAMENT:
Saturday, March 17th:
Fresno Region:
#7 Old Dominion vs. #10 Florida State
Sunday, March 18th:
Greensboro Region:
#12 Delaware vs. #5 Michigan State
Dayton Region:
#9 James Madison vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh
WNIT
Hofstra has received a first round bye and will play the winner of the Seton Hall/Dartmouth first round match-up. Date and time is TBA.
THE REGULAR SEASON IS WHAT GETS US READY: Old Dominion is certainly ready for the post-season having faced a difficult schedule. The Lady Monarchs have played five games against ranked opponents, including two against the nation's top 10 that happen to be #1 seeds in the tournament. Additionally, the Lady Monarchs took on six team receiving votes in the national polls as well.
GETTING TO THE DANCE: Old Dominion earned the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) automatic bid for the 16th straight season. The Old Dominion posted a 7-7 non-conference record and 17-1 CAA mark. The top-seeded Lady Monarchs opened tournament action with a 66-55 win over ninth-seeded Drexel and then proceeded to dispatch fourth-seeded Hofstra, 76-59. The final pitted Old Dominion against second-seeded James Madison, a team which the Lady Monarchs had spilt with during the regular season. The then 25th-ranked Dukes took the first meeting in hostile territory in Harrisonburg, Virginia with a 79-50 win, but it would be the only conference loss the Lady Monarchs would suffer. Old Dominion avenged its loss with a 62-57 win in Norfolk in their home regular season finale. In the title game, Old Dominion walked away the victors with a 78-70 win. Junior T.J. Jordan hit a 40-footer at the buzzer of the first half to give ODU a 33-30 lead into halftime and lead the Lady Monarchs would never relinquish.
CAA TOURNAMENT NOTES:
Since joining the CAA in the 1991-92 season, Old Dominion has captured the league tournament title each season and owns a 47-0 record in CAA Tournament action.
Junior guard T.J. Jordan's team-leading 17 points against Drexel moved her into 23rd on the ODU all-time scoring leaders list surpassing Rhonda Rompola (1978-81). With her team-leading 17 points in the CAA championship game against James Madison, Jordan now holds 1,081 career points,She needs five more points to move into 22nd place past WNBA fourth-round draftee Sharron Francis (1998-2002).
With three three-pointers against the Dukes in the championship game, T.J. Jordan reset the Old Dominion school record for three-pointers made in a season. Her second made attempt from downtown gave her the record. Her career total now stands at 100 having surpassed the previous record held by Aubrey Eblin (97 - 1997-98).
The Lady Monarchs, who entered tournament action shooting only 65.4 percent from the foul line, went 52-of-65 in tournament action to shoot 80.0 percent over the three days. ODU shot 81.5 percent against the Pride (22-of-27) in the foul plagued game . Against the Dragons, the Lady Monarchs went 17-of-19 from the free throw line to hit 89.5 percent of their shots from the charity stripe, the second best performance in a game this season.
It was the ninth meeting between Old Dominion and James Madison in the CAA Tournament. Last Sunday's tournament final will marked the second consecutive season the two teams play each other for the automatic berth to the 64-team NCAA Tournament. It was the fifth overall meeting with the Dukes in the championship game. Last year, Old Dominion emerged with a 58-54 victory at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.
Eight of the 16 Lady Monarchs' appearances in the final have been decided by 10 points or less including the last five straight season (2003 vs. Delaware -W, 66-58; 2004 vs. George Mason - W, 85-81; 2005 vs. Delaware - 78-75 - OT; 2006 vs. James Madison - W, 58-54 2007 vs. James Madison - W, 78-70). Five of the Lady Monarchs' CAA Tournament championship game appearances have been decided by five points or less including three of th e last four seasons.
Junior Tay Ransburg suffered a muscular knee injury during the second half of Saturday's semifinal against Hofstra. Although she was listed questionable for the championship game, Ransburg was a sparkplug off the bench playing in 14 points and logged nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE:Some things have changed since the Lady Monarchs first CAA title in 1992. Let's see how the world has changed:
* George Bush was in the White House...not the current president, but his father.
* Johnny Carson is still the host of the Tonight Show until Jay Leno takes over in May of 1992.
Cost of a new home:$144,100.00
Median Household Income: $30,636.00
Cost of a first-class stamp:$0.29
Cost of a gallon of regular gas:$1.13
Cost of a dozen eggs:$0.93
Cost of a gallon of Milk:$2.78
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ODU VS. FLORIDA STATE: Old Dominion and Florida State have met just one time in history. The Lady Monarchs won the lone meeting with the Seminoles, a 100-64 decision at the ODU Fieldhouse back on January 17th, 1982.
ODU VS. THE ACC: The Lady Monarchs are certainly no stranger to ACC competition having taken on Virginia and Duke this season and in year's past has been annual rivals with North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Last year, the Lady Monarchs managed to give quite a scare to the eventual Final Four bound Tar Heels. North Carolina needs overtime to dispatch the Lady Monarchs at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, defeating Old Dominion 88-80. It was the closest margin of victory for the Tar Heels until and overtime contest with eventual national champion Maryland nearly a month later.
IDAHO STATE-BIG SKY CONNECTIONS: While the BIG SKY might not be familiar on the women's side of the house for Old Dominion, it certainly is for the men. ODU men's head coach Blaine Taylor posted a 142-65 record in seven seasons as head coach at Montana, taking his teams to the NCAA tournament in both 1992 and 1997, and the NIT in 1995. His teams had five 20 win seasons. The most successful head coach in Montana basketball history, Taylor earned national Rookie Coach of the Year honors in 1992, as well as being named Big Sky Coach of the Year. In 1992, Montana was 27-4, winning the Big Sky title and advancing to the NCAA tournament. In Big Sky history, only three teams have won 27 games. His winning percentage of .686 is fifth best all-time in Big Sky Conference history. A graduate of Montana, Taylor earned the school's Naseby Rhinehart Award as the Most Inspirational Player in 1981 as well as being named the University's most outstanding male athlete that same year. A starting point guard at Montana, Taylor is ninth in career assists with 300. He is also one of the school's leading career throw shooters at .819 and he scored 753 career points. He was an honorable mention All-Big Sky selection as a junior and senior and was named to the league's post season All-Tournament team as a senior. Taylor also has a tie to Idaho's State's first round opponent. He was an assistant coach at Stanford helping lead the top-seeded Cardinal to the NCAA West regional final in 2001 en route to posting a 31-3 record. The Cardinal was ranked No. 1 for six weeks and advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of Taylor's three years on Mike Montgomery;s staff. Stanford won three Pac 10 Championships during Taylor's tenure.
REMEMBER THIS?: Last January 23rd during the Duke-Tennessee showdown ESPN showed the Old Dominion women's basketball team's thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory over Stanford in the national semifinals as the 23rd most memorable moment in the 25 Years NCAA Women's Tournament History. Old Dominion defeated the Cardinal, 83-82, in overtime at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati , Ohio holding on as Stanford missed three shots in the final 10 seconds of the extra period to advance to the championship game against Tennessee. Old Dominion had beaten Stanford during the regular season, but came into the rematch as the underdog, falling behind 31-16 with 7:48 left in the first half. Up to that point in history no team had overcome a 15-point deficit in a Final Four semifinal.
LAST TIME VS. THE PAC-10: Old Dominion last met a Pac-10 team during NCAA Tournament competition. The Lady Monarchs, an 11-seed, fell to the sixth-seeded Washington Huskies. Washington's Loree Payne hit a 15-foot jump shot at the buzzer to lift the Huskies past Old Dominion 67-65 in the first round of the West Regional. With 0.7 seconds remaining, Payne, then a sophomore, took the inbounds pass from Megan Franza, spotted up on the baseline and swished home the game winner as the buzzer blared.
FROM DOWNTOWN: Junior guard T.J. Jordan is fourth in the country in three-point field goals made with 3.1 per game and is 52nd in three-point field goal percentage at .364. She has 1,081 career points which puts 22nd on the all-time scoring list She has 100 three-point field goals this season and 240 for her career. She holds the ODU record for three-pointers attempted in a season surpassing Aubrey Eblin who recorded 97 attempts made from downtown during the 1997-98 season.
BEYOND THE ARC: Junior guard T.J. Jordan netted a career-high 34 points, on February 8th at Northeastern. She surpassed her previous high of 28 captured at Delaware on February 11, 2005. It was the most points since Shareese Grant (2001-2005) exploded for 35 points in the 2005 CAA Tournament final, an overtime victory over Delaware. Jordan also set a new school and CAA record for three's made with 10 and set a new school mark for three's attempted with 22. The previous mark was held by Aubrey Eblin when she went 9-of-16 against UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 17, 1998. Her 10 three-pointers are also the most made by a Division I women's player this season.
DISH IT TO ME:Sophomore Jazzmin Walters continues to grow in her role as the Lady Monarchs starting point guard. The second year Lady Monarch dished out eight assists, tying both her career and season-high while committing only one turnover against Virginia Commonwealth on January 25th. With four dishes against Hofstra on February 4th, Walters cracked the top 10 sophomore assists leaders list. She is currently in seventh place with 94 assists in her second year in the ODU uniform surpassing current assistant coach Marie Christian and Denna Vander Plas.
1.- Ticha Penicheiro - 226 - 1995-96
2. - Nancy Lieberman - 220 - 1977-78
3. - Rhonda Rompola - 151 - 1979-80
4. - Medina Dixon - 146- 1982-83
5. - Sharron Francis - 127 - 1999-00
6. - Alli Spence - 121- 2000-01
7. - Jazzmin Walters - 97 - 2006-07
8. - Deanna Vander Plas- 92 - 1991-92
9. - Marie Christian - 89 - 1984-85
10. - Mery Andrade - 87- 1995-96
COLONIAL DOMINANCE: Old Dominion has captured 15-straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles since joining the league from the Sun Belt Conference during the 1991-92 season. The Lady Monarchs are in the NCAA record books for capturing the most consecutive conference championships. In league play, Old Dominion holds a 291-16 overall record, which includes eights seasons of undefeated play. The Lady Monarchs hold a 152-2 record at home and a 139-14 road record. Only two CAA losses have occurred on Old Dominion's homecourt. The first was back at the ODU Fieldhouse, the former Lady Monarch homecourt from 1969-2002, against Richmond, now of the Atlantic-10, with a 70-74 defeat on February 19, 1992 and the second versus Delaware with a 70-73 setback on January 9, 2005. Five schools in the league have yet to beat the Lady Monarchs - Georgia State (4-0), George Mason (41-0), Northeastern (3-0), UNC-Wilmington (34-0), and Towson (10-0).
THE STARTING FIVE: With the Lady Monarch roster as deep as it is in recent memory, its hard to pick just which Lady Monarch will get the starting nod. Through thirty-two games, 11 different starting combos have been used with Sherida Triggs being the only Lady Monarch to have started every single game. The line-up of Triggs, Thy Ransburg, Shahida Williams, T.J. Jordan, and Jazzmin Walters have been used the most going 10-2 with wins over Rutgers, VCU, Drexel, Georgia State, Hofstra, George Mason, and William & Mary. For the last five games, head coach Wendy Larry has used the starting five of Sherida Triggs, Tish Lyons, Tiffany Green, Shantel Wilson, and T.J. Jordan most recently. That starting combo has gone 6-0 with wins over No. 22/25 James Madison, Towson Georgia State, UNC-Wilmington.
500 & COUNTING: With the 77-38 win over Chicago State on December 9th, Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry became the 30th all-time Division I coach and 23rd active Division I coach to reach the 500-victory milestone. In 23 years as a head coach, she has compiled a 521-190 mark. Now in her 20th season at the helm of the Old Dominion program, Larry holds a 472-159 mark at her alma mater. Coach Larry just recently captured her 450th victory as the head coach at her alma mater with a 57-46 win over Delaware State on November 25.