Dec. 2, 2007
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team made it three in-a-row against the BIG 10 Sunday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center with a 79-73 victory over the #20/19 Michigan State Spartans.
The win upped the Lady Monarchs mark to 6-2 overall. Old Dominion is off to its best start since the 1999-2000 squad opened the season 7-1. Michigan State meanwhile dropps to 6-2 overall.
Old Dominion had three in double figures including 20-point efforts by seniors T.J. Jordan (Portmouth, Va.) and Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.). Jordan poured in a game-high 24 points while Green tied her career mark with 20. Fellow classmate Megan Pym (Newfield, N.Y.) was the other Lady Monarch in double digits with 10.
The Spartans were led by Courtney Davidison, who came off the bench for 17 points. Fourteen of her points were scored in the game's final three minutes. Kalisha Keane added in 15 points along with a game-high nine boards. Leading scorer Allyssa DeHann, who only played eight first half minutes due to foul trouble, contributed 13 points along with eight boards and four blocks.
It was deja vu for the Lady Monarchs in the first half. Just as it was against Penn State on Thursday night, the visiting squad led by 11, 17-6, in the first half and once again Old Dominion used a late first half rally to take over the lead for good.
The Spartans led 23-13 with 7:08 left in the opening half when the Lady Monarchs made its move. Over the next three minutes, Old Dominion outscored Michigan State 11-2 to close the gap to within one. Just under the three minute mark, a Green lay-up tied the game at 27-27. Although the following possesion, a Cetera Washington bucket, gave the Spartans the lead back, it would be their final lead of the game. Jordan followed by draining her three three-pointer of the half to give Old Dominion the lead for good. She added in another near the buzzer for the half giving the Lady Monarchs a 35-31 edge heading into the lockerrooms.
Old Dominion led by double digits much of the first part of the second half, taking a 12 point lead on three different occasions. However, the Spartans did not go away quietly and managed to whittle down its deficit to two.
After a Pym bucket with 12:04 remaining, Michigan State took a 10-0 run over the span of four minutes to trail only 58-56 with 8:41 left. Old Dominion however scored seven unanswered points to start a 14-3 run. The run was capped by a Green lay-up for Old Dominion's largest lead of the game, 72-59, with just under three minutes left in the game.
Michigan State's Davidison kept the score close, scoring the final 14 points for her squad.
The Spartans totaled 22 turnovers resulting in 27 Lady Monarch points.
The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs return to action on Wednesday, December 5th against the top-team in the nation. The Lady Monarchs take on #1 Tennessee in the 41st meeting between the two programs. Game-time is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will be aired by Fox Sports South.