March 1, 2008
James Madison Game Notes in PDF Format
TV TIME: Sunday's game with James Madison will be aired live on Comcast SportsNet (Ch. 35 - Hampton Roads) with Al Koken on play-by-play and Christy Winter-Scott on color.
WANNA RIDE TO THE TOURNAMENT?: If the Lady Monarchs advance to the CAA Tournament Championship Game on Sunday, March 16th - Old Dominion will sponsor a fan bus to Delaware for the game. Tickets will be $55 and include a game-ticket. Please call 757-683-3359 beginning Monday, March 3rd to reserve your spot
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS:The No. 11/11 Lady Monarchs are winners in their last 19 contests and in 22 of their last 23 games. Old Dominion is coming off a 82-44 victory over George Mason Thursday night. Junior Tiffany Green led the Lady Monarchs with 19 points as one of four in double figures and added in a season-high 12 boards for her fourth double-double of the year. Senior T.J. Jordanbecame the CAA's all-time leader in three-point field goals with her first three of the night hitting. Jordan, who would go on to hit another shot from downtown to bring her career total to 311 three-pointers made, surpassed the previous record of 309 held by Julie Jones (Richmond - 1988-92). Jordan continues to lead the squad at 13.5 points per game and is followed by sophomore Jessica Canady and Green at 10.9 points per game. Pym continues leads the Lady Monarchs on the glass at 7.6 rebounds per game.
ABOUT JAMES MADISON:The Duke, playing in their final home game, enter Sunday's contest with 19-8 overall and 12-4 CAA mark. James Madison currently stands in second in the CAA standings with Drexel and Virginia Commonwealth both lurking right behind, each one game back with 11-5 league records. CAA Preseason Player of the Year, senior Tamera Young, continues to lead not only her squad, but the conference, with 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Following Young on the Dukes' stat sheet is rookie Dawn Evans. Evans is pouring in 12.5 points per game.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - JMU
74.8 - Scoring - 72.2
.441 - Field Goal Percentage - .318
.364 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .325
.651 - Free Throw Percentage -.631
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 46.5
17.1 - Assists Per Game - 14.3
18.8 - Turnovers Per Game - 17.7
11.6 - Steals Per Game - 7.5
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 4.9
SERIES WITH JAMES MADISON:The Lady Monarchs have faced no other opponent as many times as they have the Dukes. Sunday's game will represent the 66th meeting between Old Dominion and James Madison with the Lady Monarchs owning a 50-15 advantage in the all-time series. James Madison handed Old Dominion its only loss last season in conference competition, 50-79, in Harrisonburg, but in the rematch during the regular season, Old Dominion took a 92-61 victory. Additionally, they defeated the Dukes, 78-60, in the CAA championship game for their 16th straight conference title. The Lady Monarchs are looking for their first victory in Harrisonburg since the 04-05 season having lost their last two appearances at the JMU Convocation Center.
LAST TIME VS. JAMES MADISON:It may have been James Madison ahead at the half by two back on January 13th, but an electrifying second half that included a 26-0 run by the Lady Monarchs helped spark the No. 18/22 Old Dominion women's basketball team to a 82-57 win. Junior Jazzmin Walters collected a career-high 14 points as one of four Lady Monarchs in double figures. Senior T.J. Jordan added in a game-high 18, including 14 second half points. Also scoring in double figures for the Lady Monarchs were senior Shahida Williams with 13 and sophomore Jessica Canady coming off the bench to tally 12. James Madison was led by CAA Preseason Player of the Year, Tamera Young, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jasmin Lawrence added in 11 in the loss. Rookie Dawn Evans, who entered the game at 12.6 points per game, was held to just six points, three in each half. The Lady Monarchs led by eight, 26-18, with 7:24 remaining in the first half before the Dukes closed it out outscoring Old Dominion, 17-7. James Madison sank back-to-back three's by Evan and Lawrence to head into the lockeroom with a 35-33 advantage over the Lady Monarchs. Lawrence's trey with seven seconds left in the opening half had given the Dukes their first lead since the first bucket of the game. The second half saw Old Dominion take over the ball game. Five minutes into the second half senior Megan Pym put away a bucket, followed by junior Tiffany Green sinking a free throw to tie the game at 54-54, and followed up by the traditional three-point play from the line freshman Jasmine Parker that returned the lead to the Lady Monarchs for good. Pym, Green, and Parker's points began what would turn into a a 26-0 run for the Lady Monarchs. The Dukes were held scoreless for over seven minutes.
IT'S A CLINCHER:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs have clinched the 2008 CAA regular season title and the top seed at the upcoming CAA Tournament. The Lady Monarchs have been the No. 1 seed at the CAA Tournament 14 times in the last 17 years.
CAA STREAK:Old Dominion has won its last 27 straight CAA contests. The Lady Monarchs last loss in league play was a 79-50 against James Madison in Harrisonburg on February 1, 2007.
UNDEFEATED - AT HOME:Old Dominion is currently 13-0 at home and finished non-conference play at 5-0 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
HOME COURT STREAK:The Lady Monarchs have won a nation-leading 23 straight home contests dating back to the Dec. 20, 2006, 72-55, victory over national runner-up Rutgers. ODU's last loss at the Ted Constant Convocation Center was against national champion Tennessee, 59-75, back on Dec. 22, 2006.
CAA HOME COURT STREAK: The Lady Monarchs have won 34 straight home CAA contests dating back to the January 14, 2005, 78-59, victory over Virginia Commonwealth. ODU's last conference loss at the Ted Constant Convocation Center was against Delaware, 70-73, on January 9, 2005. Old Dominion holds a 153-2 home CAA mark.
HELLO TOP 10 - AP:The Lady Monarchs returned to the Top Ten of the Associated Press Poll for the first time since the end of the 1999 season last week when Old Dominion appeared in the poll at No. 10. Old Dominion, who started the season unranked, returned to the Top 25 in the AP for week four following their upset victory over Michigan State on December 2. Old Dominion was ranked at No. 24 and made its first appearance in the AP Poll since the final poll of the 2002 season when the Lady Monarchs finished 15th and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. This week the Lady Monarchs fell back a spot to No. 11 despite picking up wins over third-place teams Virginia Commonwealth and Drexel.
HELLO TOP 25 - ESPN/USA TODAY:The Lady Monarchs cracked the Top 25 of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll during week seven coming at No. 23 following SEC road wins at Kentucky and Vanderbilt. It is the Lady Monarchs first appearance in the Coaches' Poll since the second week of the 2002-03 season. This week, the Lady Monarchs jumped two positions to No. 12.
ANOTHER THREE POINT RECORD:Senior T.J. Jordan became the CAA's all-time leader in three-point field goals with her first three of the night in a 82-44 win over George Mason on February 28th. She hit the record breaking trey with 19:46 left in the second half. "At halftime I was telling myself 'take your time, take open shots'," said Jordan. "The ball was reversed back to me and they were guarding me pretty far back with their hands down. It felt good when it left my hand. I knew it was going in." Modestly Jordan added of her record, "It means a lot." Jordan, who would go on to hit another shot from downtown to bring her career total to 311 three-pointers made, surpassed the previous record of 309 held by Julie Jones (Richmond - 1988-92). Jordan is just one of three and two active CAA women's basketball players to hit 300 or more career three's joining Jones and Drexel's Narissa Suber.
ANOTHER 500 VICTORY MILESTONE:Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry is just three wins away from her 500th win at the helm of the Lady Monarch program. To date, Larry has captured a 497-163 mark in 21 seasons as the head coach of the Lady Monarch. Larry reached her 500th career win last season against Chicago State and has a 546-194 overall mark in 24 seasons as the leader of the Old Dominion, Arizona State, and Virginia Wesleyan programs.
UP NEXT: And then there was one...one home game left. The No. 11 Lady Monarchs return home on Thursday, March 6th to host Hofstra at 7:00 p.m. in their regular season finale. Seniors T.J. Jordan, Megan Pym, and Shahida Williams will be honored after the game.