March 11, 2008
CAA Tournament Notes in PDF Format
2008 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket in PDF Format
TV TIME: Should the Lady Monarchs advance to Saturday's CAA Tournament semifinals, fans can watch the game live on CN8 and Cox 11. Sunday's CAA Championship game will air live on Comcast SportsNet (Ch. 35 - Hampton Roads).
VIDEO/LIVE STATS: Live video and stats are available on your computer at CAASports.com.
WHICH LADY MONARCH(S) WON CAA POST SEASON HONORS? Check out www.caasports.com and www.odusports.com Wednesday night when the post-season conference honors are announced.
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS:The Old Dominion women's basketball, winners in 20 of their last 21 contests, are ready for the post-season. The Lady Monarchs are aiming to bring back its 17th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record after capturing a 26-4 overall mark and 17-1 record during conference play. Three of Old Dominion's four losses were against members of the top ten with the other loss being a 76-63 set back to James Madison two weeks ago in Harrisonburg, a loss that snapped a 19-game win streak and 27-game CAA win streak. Senior T.J. Jordan, ODU's and the CAA's all-time leading three-point shooter, continues to lead the squad at 13.2 points per game. She is followed by junior Tiffany Green at 11.0 points per game and ODU's "sixth Lady", sophomore Jessica Canady, at 10.9 points per contest. Green also leads the Lady Monarchs on the glass at 7.4 rebounds per game, closely followed by senior Megan Pym at 7.3 boards per game.
IN TOURNAMENT ACTION: Since joining the CAA in the 1991-92 season, Old Dominion has captured the league tournament title each season for an NCAA record 16 consecutive league titles and owns a 47-0 record in CAA Tournament action.
IT'S WHY WE PLAY A TOUGH SCHEDULE: Old Dominion is certainly ready for the post-season having faced a difficult schedule. The Lady Monarchs have played six games against ranked opponents, including three against the nation's top 10 - who at one point were ranked No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in the nation (Tennessee, Connecticut, Stanford). Additionally, the Lady Monarchs took two other teams that were receiving votes in the national polls as well. All in all, Old Dominion posted a 5-3 record against teams featured in either the Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Polls.
WHO IS NEXT? No. 1 Old Dominion will face the winner of the No. 8 UNC-Wilmington/No. 9 Delaware first round game in Friday's quarterfinals at 5:00 p.m. The Lady Monarchs are 16-0 in quarterfinal contests.
IT'S A CLINCHER:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs clinched the 2008 CAA regular season title and the top seed at the upcoming CAA Tournament in a 82-44 win over George Mason back on February 28th. The Lady Monarchs have been the No. 1 seed at the CAA Tournament 14 times in the last 17 years.
CAA STREAK:Old Dominion's 27 game CAA streak came to an end on March 2nd with a 76-63 set back to James Madison at the JMU Convocation Center. The Lady Monarchs last loss in league play before that was a 79-50 against James Madison in Harrisonburg on February 1, 2007.
UNDEFEATED - AT HOME:Old Dominion is currently 14-0 at home and finished non-conference play at 5-0 and CAA play at 9-0 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The Ted Constant Convocation Center will be one of eight host sites for the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds where Old Dominion will play if selected to the tournament with either the conference's automatic bid or an at-large berth.
HOME COURT STREAK:The Lady Monarchs have won a nation-leading 24 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 161-2 home CAA mark.
THIS WEEK - AP:The Lady Monarchs moved up two notches in the Associated Press Poll to No. 14 following a 91-71 regular season finale win over Hofstra. The Lady Monarchs have appeared in the Top 25 of the AP Poll in 13 of the 18 weeks, including eight weeks in the top 15.
THIS WEEK - ESPN/USA TODAY:Despite winning their lone game last week, a 91-71 victory over Hofstra at the Constant Center, the Lady Monarchs slide back a spot to No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Old Dominion has been ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Poll in 10 of the 18 weeks, including seven weeks in the top 15
ANOTHER 500 VICTORY MILESTONE:Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry is just two wins away from her 500th win at the helm of the Lady Monarch program. To date, Larry has captured a 498-164 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 547-195 overall mark in 24 seasons as the leader of the Old Dominion, Arizona State, and Virginia Wesleyan programs.
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 surpassed the previous record of 309 held by Julie Jones (Richmond - 1988-92). Jordan is just one of three total and two active CAA women's basketball players to hit 300 or more career three's joining Jones and Drexel's Narissa Suber. Jordan currently has 313 three point field goal made to date.
RACKING UP THE WIN COLUMN:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs enter the post-season with a 26-4 overall mark. It is the most victories in the win column since the 2001-02 season when Old Dominion finished the year 28-6 overall and advanced to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament.
CRACKING A TOP TEN: Junior Jazzmin Walters cracked the the top ten junior assist list at Old Dominion on February 7th in the Lady Monarchs' 71-61 win at George Mason. Walters, who entered the game needing two assists to crack the list, dished out six assists against the Patriots and vaulted immediately into seventh place. Walters now stands at second on the list with 148 assists to her name in the 2007-08 season with only ODU legends Nancy Lieberman and Ticha Penicheiro ahead of her on the list.
PASSING A LEGEND:Senior T.J. Jordan has moved up seven spots on the ODU all-time scoring list since the beginning of the season. Jordan has already surpassed current WNBA Sacramento Monarch Ticha Penicheiro. two-time CAA Player of the Year and 2002 WNBA draftee Lucienne Berthieu, and fellow Hampton Roads native and three-time CAA MVP Shareese Grant on the all-time list. Jordan currently has 1,463 career points and sits in 15th on the all-time list.
HOW FAST TO 20:With an 83-68 win over William & Mary on February 10th, the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs collected their 20th win of the season and became one of the fastest teams to 20 wins in a season.
By Games:
1978-79: 20 wins in 20 games
1980-81: 20 wins in 21 games
1996-97: 20 wins in 21 games
1979-80: 20 wins in 22 games
1984-85: 20 wins in 22 games
1997-98: 20 wins in 22 games
1977-78: 20 wins in 23 games
1995-96: 20 wins in 23 games
1998-99: 20 wins in 23 games
2007-08: 20 wins in 23 games
1983-84: 20 wins in 24 games
1994-95: 20 wins in 24 games
1999-00: 20 wins in 24 games
1976-77: 20 wins in 25 games
1982-83: 20 wins in 25 games
1993-94: 20 wins in 25 games
2001-02: 20 wins in 25 games
By Date:
1979-80: Feb. 1
1978-79: Feb. 2
1980-81: Feb. 7
1996-97: Feb. 7
1984-85: Feb. 9
1997-98: Feb. 9
2007-08: Feb. 10
1995-96: Feb. 16
1998-99: Feb. 16
1994-95: Feb. 16
1999-00: Feb. 20
2001-02: Feb. 22
1983-84: Feb. 24
1982-83: Feb. 25
1993-94: Feb. 27
1976-77: Mar. 4
THE QUARTERFINAL OPPONENT LOW-DOWN:
ABOUT UNC-WILMINGTON:In order to face the Lady Monarhcs, the Seahawks, the tournament's eight seed, will have defeated ninth-seeded and host Delaware on Thursday to advance to Friday's quarterfinal match-up with the Lady Monarchs and snap a four-game losing streak. UNC-Wilmington will then enter the game with a 17-13 overall mark and finished out the year with a 7-11 CAA record. Entering tournament action, the Seahawks were led by a trio of double figured scorers. Brittany Blackwell, averaged 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds to led her squad. She ranked fourth in the league in scoring and seventh in rebounding in her first season in a Seahawk uniform. Sasha Taylor poured in a team second-best 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds followed by Greta Luksyte at 11.4 points per game.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST (ENTERING THE CAA TOURNAMENT):
ODU - UNC-W
74.9 - Scoring - 62.2
.438 - Field Goal Percentage -.420
.355 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .333
.651 - Free Throw Percentage - .677
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 36.0
17.0 - Assists Per Game - 12.2
18.4 - Turnovers Per Game - 20.9
11.2 - Steals Per Game - 10.1
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 2.3
SERIES WITH UNC-WILMINGTON:Old Dominion leads the all-time series 36-0. The Seahawks are one of five CAA teams that have yet to record a victory over the Lady Monarchs. Old Dominion won both meetings during the regular season, a 67-55 win at Trask Coliseum on January 9th and a 93-56 victory at the Constant Center on February 3rd.
TOURNAMENT SERIES: Old Dominion is 4-0 all-time against UNC-Wilmington in the CAA Tournament. Should the Seahawks advance it will be the third time the two squads will play in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals.
LAST TIME VS. UNC-WILMINGTON:The No. 13/15 Old Dominion women's basketball earned its fourth straight victory by a margin of over 30 points and captured a season-high in points as the Lady Monarchs rolled to a 93-56 victory over UNC-Wilmington in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) action at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, back on February 3rd, on Superbowl Sunday afternoon.The victory, which was Old Dominion's 12th straight as well as its 30th straight CAA home victory, marked the Lady Monarchs' 300th win in CAA competition. The 93 points scored by the Lady Monarchs were the most by the team this season and the most since netting 94 against Hofstra in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament back on March 10, 2006. Additionally the Lady Monarchs shot 54.4 percent from the floor, the highest accuracy from the floor in conference games and second highest of the season. In all, four Lady Monarchs reached double figures with T.J. Jordan leading the Lady Monarchs once again with 20 points, 15 of them coming in the first half. Jasmine Parker also collected a career-high 18 points. Tiffany Green poured in her second double-double of the year and the 13th of her career with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Old Dominion managed to outrebound UNC-Wilmington by 20, 46-26, UNC-Wilmington scored the game's first bucket and tied the game at 5-5 a minute and a half in, but the rest of the game was all Old Dominion. The Lady Monarchs held a 24-point, 47-23, lead at the half. The Seahawks became the fifth ODU opponent held to 20 points or fewer come the intermission.Four minutes into the second half, Jessica Canady gave the Lady Monarchs a 30-point lead, 60-30, as Old Dominion maintained a 30+ point advantage the rest of the afternoon.
ABOUT DELAWARE:The Fightin' Blue Hens, the tournament's nine seed and host, will have upset eighth-seeded UNC-Wilmington on Thursday to advance to Friday's quarterfinal match-up with the Lady Monarchs and snap a four-game losing streak. Should Delaware advance, they will enter the game with a 8-23 overall mark and finished out the year with a 6-12 CAA record. Entering tournament action, the Blue Hens were led by Kyle DeHaven. DeHaven was the lone Blue Hen averaging double figures with 10.5 points per game. She also leads the league in steals averaging 4.57 a game. DeHaven is followed by Vanessa Kabongo in the scoring column at 6.6 points per contest. On the boards, Delaware was led by Ariene Jenkins at 5.1 rebounds per game. DeHaven follows as the Blue Hens' second leading rebounder at 5.0 per game.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST (ENTERING THE CAA TOURNAMENT):
ODU - UD
74.9 - Scoring - 50.4
.438 - Field Goal Percentage -.324
.355 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .222
.651 - Free Throw Percentage - .679
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 36.0
17.0 - Assists Per Game - 7.5
18.4 - Turnovers Per Game - 19.3
11.2 - Steals Per Game - 11.6
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 2.5
SERIES WITH DELAWARE:Delaware and Old Dominion have created a huge rivalry in the CAA since the Fightin' Blue Hens arrival in the conference in 2001-02. Old Dominion holds a 11-3 all-time record with the Fightin' Blue Hens with a 5-2 record at the Bob Carpenter Center. One of Delaware's victories in the series came at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in a game that snapped ODU's 122 CAA home game win streak. The Lady Monarchs won the first three meetings before Delaware picked up its first victory over the Lady Monarchs in 2003 with a 58-50 victory. However, in the rematch, the Lady Monarchs captured their 12th straight CAA title with a 66-58 win in the CAA Tournament championship game. Three seasons ago, during the 2004-05 season, the Blue Hens swept the season series from the Lady Monarchs, however, once again, the Lady Monarchs rebounded by defeating Delaware, 78-74, in the championship game of the CAA Tournament. The game, which gave ODU its 14th consecutive CAA title, went into overtime and was one of the most memorable tournament finales in memory. This season, the two teams met just once with the Lady Monarchs downing the Blue Hens, 76-37, at the Carpenter Center. The 37 points were the second fewest allowed by an ODU opponent this season and the fewest by a CAA rival.
TOURNAMENT SERIES: Old Dominion is 3-0 all-time against Delaware in the CAA Tournament. Should the Fightin' Blue Hens advance it will be the first time the two squads will play in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals.
LAST TIME VS. DELAWARE:Sophomore Jessica Canady had 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to lead then-No. 13 Old Dominion to a lopsided 76-37 victory over Delaware on January 27th. Jazzmin Walters added 10 points for the Monarchs, who won their 10th straight game and posted their 19th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association victory. ShaRon Harrison had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Hens, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Kyle DeHaven, Delaware's leading scorer at 11.8 points, was limited to a season-low two points on 1-of-14 shooting.Delaware converted a season-low 20 percent of its field goals (12-of-59) and hit only 13-of-29 free throws. It misfired on all three of its 3-pointers and finished the game with just three assists. Old Dominion jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead and cruised to a 34-14 advantage at halftime. The Blue Hens went the final 7:43 of the first half without a field goal and shot 15 percent from the field 5-of-34. They also hit just 4-of-11 free throws. The Monarchs kept the pressure on and led by as many as 42 points in the second half. They shot 45 percent from the field (28-of-62), 16-of-22 from the free throw line and outrebounded Delaware, 52-42.It was Old Dominion's fourth win in a row over Delaware dating back to the 2004-05 season.