March 20, 2008
NCAA Tournament Notes in PDF Format
THE DEUCE: Old Dominion's first round match-up against Liberty will be aired on ESPN2 with Marc Kestecher on play-by-play, Brenda van Lengen on color, and Todd Harris on sideline.
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS:The Old Dominion women's basketball, winners in 23 of their last 24 contests, are ready for some NCAA Tournament action. The Lady Monarchs brought back their 17th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title last Sunday by overcoming an 18-point first half deficit against Virginia Commonwealth. Old Dominion will be making its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and be looking for its first win since the 2002 season when the Lady Monarchs reached the "Elite Eight" before bowing out to eventual national champion, Connecticut. The Lady Monarchs sport a 29-4 overall mark, the most wins for the team since the 1999-2000 season. Three of Old Dominion's four losses were against members of the top ten, who at one point were ranked No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in the country (Tennessee, Connecticut, Stanford) with the other loss being a 76-63 set back to CAA rival James Madison two in Harrisonsburg, 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 11.3 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 7.6 rebounds per game, followed by senior Megan Pym at 6.4 boards per game.
WELCOME TO THE TED:Since the doors opened at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in 2002, the Lady Monarchs have enjoyed a 79-12 record.
Ranked Wins At The Constant Center:
11/25/03 - #7 Penn State - W, 75-68
12/7/03- #12/13 UNC - W, 73-68
12/5/04- #16/19 Rutgers - W, 69-61
2/25/07 - #22/25 James Madison- W, 62-57
12/2/07- #20/19 Michigan State- W, 79-73
Losses At The Constant Center:
11/22/02 - Virginia - L, 55-63
1/7/03- #5 Tennessee - L, 63-91
1/31/03- Rutgers - L, 59-67
3/22/03- Boston College (NCAA) - L, 72-73
1/2/05- #8 Tennessee- L, 58-68
1/9/05- Delaware - L, 70-73
11/20/05 - #1/2 Duke - L, 56-93
12/4/05- #19/20 Vanderbilt - L, 77-82
12/29/05 - #5 North Carolina - L, 80-88 (OT)
3/19/06- George Washington (NCAA) - L, 72-87
11/18/06 - #21/24 Kentucky - L, 55-69
12/22/06 - #5 Tennessee - L, 59-75
TOP WBB ATTENDANCE AT THE CONSTANT CENTER
1. Tennessee 1/7/03 - 7,758
2. Virginia 11/22/02 - 7,316
3. Tennessee 12/22/06 - 7,108
4. Tennessee 1/2/05 - 7,063
5. George Washington (NCAA) 3/19/06 - 6,847
6. Rutgers 1/31/03 - 6,384
PHEW...WHAT A COMEBACK:Old Dominion rallied from an 18-point deficit in its 71-64 victory over third-seed Virginia Commonwealth in the 2008 CAA Championship game. It was the largest deficit in the championship game the Lady Monarchs have ever had to rally from. The win gave Old Dominion its NCAA record 17th straight conference title.
1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13..14..15..16..17:The Lady Monarchs won their 17th straight conference title, more than any other women's team. Liberty, who will be Old Dominion's first round opponent, is next on the list having accumulated 11 straight Big South titles.
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.
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.
ANOTHER 500 VICTORY MILESTONE:Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry cracked another half-century mark. In Old Dominion's 74-51 CAA semifinal victory over fifth-seeded Towson, Larry earned her 500th win at the helm of the Lady Monarch program. To date, Larry has captured a 501-164 mark in 21 seasons as the head coach of the Lady Monarchs. 501 was just as sweet as it gave her and her team its 17th consecutive CAA title. Larry reached her 500th career win last season against Chicago State and has a 550-195 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 318 three point field goal made to date.
RACKING UP THE WIN COLUMN:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs enter the post-season with a 29-4 overall mark. Its the most wins for the program since the 1999-00 season when the Lady Monarchs captured a 29-5 overall mark and reached the "Sweet 16" 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 against the Patriots and vaulted immediately into seventh place. Walters now stands at second on the list with 157 assists to her name in the 2007-08 season with only ODU legends Nancy Lieberman and Ticha Penicheiro ahead of her on the list.
ANOTHER LIST:With six rebounds against Towson in last Saturday's CAA semifinal victory over Towson, sophomore super-sub Jessica Canady moved onto the ODU Sophomore Rebounding list. Canady currently sits in 10th with 211 rebounds in her second year with the Lady Monarchs.
PASSING A LEGEND:Senior T.J. Jordan has moved up nine 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, fellow Hampton Roads native and three-time CAA MVP Shareese Grant, 2002 WNBA draftee and Houston Comets member Hamchetou Maiga on the all-time list. Jordan currently has 1,502 career points and sits in 13th on the all-time list.
GLANCE AT THE OPPONENTS:
LIBERTY:
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - LU
75.0 - Scoring - 65.4
.438 - Field Goal Percentage - .406
.349 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .320
.653 - Free Throw Percentage -.678
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 39.3
16.5 - Assists Per Game - 15.1
18.3 - Turnovers Per Game - 17.5
11.1 - Steals Per Game - 9.8
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 2.5
SERIES WITH LIBERTY:Old Dominion and Liberty have faced each other only one other time...A 1997 first round match-up back at the ODU Field House. The Lady Monarchs defeated the Flames, 102-52, en-route to the championship game against Tennessee.
SERIES WITH LIBERTY IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:Old Dominion and Liberty have faced each other only one other time. A1997 first round match-up back at the ODU Field House. The Lady Monarchs defeated the Flames, 102-52, en-route to the championship game against Tennessee.
LAST TIME VS. LIBERTY:Clarisse Machanguana scored 25 of her 35 points in the first half and Nyree Roberts added 19 points and nine rebounds, leading top-seeded Old Dominion to an easy 102-52 rout of Liberty in the first round of the Mideast Region at Norfolk, Virginia back on March 16, 1997. Ticha Penicheiro scored 11 points and Mery Andrade contributed 10 for the Lady Monarchs (30-1), who went on to face Purdue in thesecond round. Old Dominion scored the game's first eight points and opened a 26-2 lead with 10:59 left in the first half. Machanguana had 10 and Roberts six during the burst. The Lady Monarchs built their lead to 57-21 at halftime. Elena Kisseleva and Sharon Wilkerson each scored 19 points for Liberty (22-8), which committed 26 turnovers. The Lady Flames also shot 31 percent (19-of-61) from the field.
UC SANTA BARBARA:
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - UCSB
75.0 - Scoring - 69.5
.438 - Field Goal Percentage - .423
.349 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .308
.653 - Free Throw Percentage -.709
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 39.5
16.5 - Assists Per Game - 14.8
18.3 - Turnovers Per Game - 18.0
11.1 - Steals Per Game - 9.0
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 3.2
SERIES WITH UC SANTA BARBARA:Should the Lady Monarchs and Gauchos advance it will be their first ever meeting.
VIRGINIA:
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - UVA
75.0 - Scoring - 74.0
.438 - Field Goal Percentage - .450
.349 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .357
.653 - Free Throw Percentage - .705
42.5 - Rebounds Per Game - 38.4
16.5 - Assists Per Game - 14.6
18.3 - Turnovers Per Game - 18.8
11.1 - Steals Per Game - 9.6
5.1 - Blocks Per Game - 2.5
SERIES WITH VIRGINIA:Old Dominion leads the all-time series with Virginia, 16-14. However, the Cavaliers have won the last four meetings. Each team served as the squad's opener for their respective buildings - ODU's Ted Constant Convocation in 2002 and Virginia's John Paul Jones arena in 2006.
SERIES WITH VIRGINIA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:Old Dominion and Virginia met twice in the NCAA Tournament with the Cavaliers taking both meetings. The Lady Monarchs fell 63-55 during the 1996 tournament in the "Sweet 16" in Charlottesville and in the first round in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2006, 92-72.
LAST TIME VS. VIRGINIA:The Old Dominion women's basketball team opened the 2006-07 season with a 92-72 loss at in-state rival Virginia on November 12th, 2006 at the brand new John Paul Jones Arena. The game marked the opening of the Cavaliers brand new facility. Virginia jumped out to a 14-point lead, 24-10. The Cavaliers built its lead to 21 points, 36-15 with 6:38 to go in the half and entered the locker room with a 14-point edge, 44-30, paced by senior Shahida Williams' 15 points. In the second half, Virginia maintained its double-digit lead, going ahead by as many as 21 points. Guard T.J. Jordan led the Lady Monarch squad with 21 points, all coming from three-point range. The third-year Lady Monarch shot 6-of-19 from the field, including 6-of-17 from three-point range setting new career-highs in field goals and three-pointers attempted. Former Lady Monarch Sherida Triggs sat out most of the first half in foul trouble and scored all 15 of her points in the second half. Tiffany Green collected a game-high 10 boards as Virginia only held a slight one rebound margin over Old Dominion, 43-42. Lyndra Littles led Virginia with a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and seventh of her career. She went 13-of-14 from the line. Williams followed with 21 points. Junior Denesha Kenion came off the bench for a career-high 13 points, while Monica Wright rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points. The frosh also added six boards, four assists, and three steals in her second start.
HELLO TOP 10 - AP:It might have been for only one week, but the Lady Monarchs did make an appearance in the Associated Press Poll's Top Ten. The Lady Monarchs returned to the Top Ten of the AP 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. The Lady Monarchs enter tournament action ranked 11th in the poll.
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. Old Dominion ranked as high as No. 11 the week of February 25th and enters the NCAA Tournament at No. 13.
IT'S A CLINCHER:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs clinched the 2008 CAA regular season title and the top seed for the 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.
THINK PINK:February 10th was the Old Dominion's women's basketball team's fifth annual "HOOPS FOR A CURE" game. A season-high 4,825 fans helped "PINK OUT" the Ted Constant Convocation Center in the Lady Monarchs' 83-68 win over William & Mary.
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
PUTTING UP THE POINTS:On February 3rd, Old Dominion collected a season-high in point with a 93-56 win over the Seahawks. The 93 points were the most scored by the team since netting 94 against Hofstra in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament back on March 10, 2006.
TRY THIS ON FOR NUMBERS:The 93-56 win over UNC-Wilmington on February 3rd was the Lady Monarchs 300th win in CAA play since joining the league in 1991-92. Old Dominion holds a 311-17 overall record in 17 years in the conference.
SIXTH LADY:Sophomore Jessica Canady, Old Dominion's sixth man...or lady, was named the CAA Player of the Week for the second time this season on January 28th. She averaged 23.5 points and 11.0 rebounds and shot 68 percent from the field coming off the bench in helping the No. 13/18 Old Dominion women's basketball team to back-to-back 30+ point victories Canady poured in a career-high 28 points against Northeastern, which included 22 first half points along with a string of 14 consecutive points. With the Lady Monarchs down 10-4 in the early part of the opening half, Canady went on a 14-1 run of her own to give Old Dominion the lead for good.Against Delaware, Old Dominion's "sixth woman" collected her third double-double of the season with 19 points and a career-high 15 boards. Canady is currently averaging a team second-best 11.6 points per game.
ALL-TIME LOWS:Old Dominion gave Delaware some numbers to forget in its 76-37 victory on January 27th. The Lady Monarchs got the Fightin' Blue Hens to shoot their lowest field goal percentage in school history (20.3 percent) and score their lowest point total since moving to the Bob Carpenter Center. Their previous low was a 42-point effort in a setback to St. John's on March 17, 2005. Delaware misfired on all three of its 3-pointers and finished the game with just three assists. Kyle DeHaven, Delaware's leading scorer at 11.8 points, was limited to a season-low two points on 1-of-14 shooting.
DEJA FREE THROW:For two straight years, Old Dominion has escaped Williamsburg with a win over William & Mary thanks to free throws from junior Tiffany Green. Green was at the line with 1:11 remaining against the Tribe, putting the Lady Monarch junior in a similar circumstance to last year. In 2007, Green, who at times struggles from the charity stripe, iced two free throws to seal last year's victory. This year, Green once again went to the line, with Old Dominion clinging to a one-point lead, and nailed both her free throw attempts and followed up with a lay-up after the Tribe missed a three-pointer in an attempt to tie the score to seal the game.
I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELPFROM MY FRIENDS:Leading scorer T.J. Jordan was held to one point, stemming from a free throw, in the Lady Monarchs' 86-66 victory over Virginia Commonwealth. Despite the Lady Monarchs' leading scorer having an off-night, six different Lady Monarchs scored in double figures to help lead ODU to victory. The bench was also a tremendous help as well as they outscored the Ram bench 37-15.
WHAT A RUN: It may have been James Madison ahead at the half by two, in the first meeting with the Dukes on January 13th, but an electrifying second half that included a 26-0 run by the Lady Monarchs helped spark the Lady Monarchs to a 82-57 win. Old Dominion outscored James Madison, 49-22, in the second half.
IT'S NOT THE SIZE OF THE DOG IN THE FIGHT; IT'S THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG:Just because junior Jazzmin Walters is 5-2, doesn't mean she can't hang with the tall girls. While nine members of the Vanderbilt women's basketball team are 5-11 or taller, it was five-foot-two Jazzmin Walter's who was the game's leading rebounder in ODU's match-up with the then No. 21/20 Commodores. Walters hauled in a career-high seven boards as Old Dominion outrebounded Vanderbilt, 40-29. Walters repeated her career rebounding performance against Virginia Commonwealth on January 17th, which included six defensive rebounds against a squad that had eight members at 5-10 or taller.
COUNT TO TEN:With a 79-59 victory over Georgia State to open up the CAA portion of its schedule on January 6th, the Lady Monarchs collected their 10th win of the season. It was the fastest Old Dominion has collected 10 wins since the 1997-98 team accomplished the feat on January 4th.
CANADY SEEING DOUBLE:Sophomore Jessica Canady, who helped the Lady Monarchs improve to 17-0 all-time in CAA openers in a 79-59 win at Georgia State, was named the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Week for the week ending January 6th. She is the second Lady Monarch to earn a weekly honor from the conference this season. Canady came off the bench and poured in a then career-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds. It was her second double-double of the season and of her career and the first time in her career she scored over 20 points in a game. Canady shot a blistering 7-of-8 from the field (87.5 percent) and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
THE RETURN OF JORDAN:Old Dominion's victory over Kentucky saw the return of leading scorer, senior guard T.J. Jordan, who had missed the previous two games (Tennessee, Delaware State) with a stress reaction in her left foot. Jordan picked up right where she left off netting a game-high 22 points. In the first half, she had 10 points while playing 13 minutes. Jordan was involved in a scary incident with 8:26 remaining in the game. After getting elbowed in the stomach, triggering an asthma attack, Jordan was able to get back down the court to help Old Dominion complete the play. After leaving the court, Jordan returned a few minutes later and finished out the game.
NON-CONFERENCE COMESTO A CLOSE:The Lady Monarchs enter the CAA slate with a 9-3 mark against non-CAA competition, their best non-conference record since going 7-3 in non-conference action since the 1998-99 season.
WAY TO START:The Lady Monarchs opened the 2007-08 season with a 6-2 overall mark. Among the six victories are wins over two ranked teams in Purdue and Michigan State as well as conference champions from the Sun Belt (Middle Tennessee) and Conference USA (East Carolina). Both losses happened against team ranked in the top four at the time of play - UConn & Stanford. It is the best start for the Lady Monarchs since the 1999-2000 season when Old Dominion opened up the year 7-1.
RANKED AND ON THE ROAD:Old Dominion's win at then No. 21/20 Vanderbilt was the Lady Monarchs first true road win (non-neutral site) since defeating Purdue in West Lafayette in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
THREE AGAINST THE SEC:The BIG 10 is not the only conference the Lady Monarchs saw three times during non-conference play. Old Dominion took on Tennessee, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt of the SEC with defending MEAC champion Delaware State breaking up the mix. The Lady Monarchs went 2-1 against the SEC having dropped its contest at then top-ranked Tennessee back on Dec. 5. They followed with a pair of road wins, a 71-62 win over Kentucky at Memorial Coliseum and a 80-65 win over then No. 21/20 Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium.
THREE IN A ROW AGAINST THE BIG 10:Old Dominion made it back-to-back-to-back victories over the BIG 10. The Lady Monarchs returned from a 66-53 upset win over then No. 22/20 Purdue at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, only to return home to see two more BIG 10 squads. Old Dominion then proceeded to down Penn State, 77-49, and upset then No. 19/20 Michigan State, 79-73.
CANADY CAN DO:Sophomore Jessica Canady had a huge hand in Old Dominion's 70-28 victory over Delaware State on Dec. 20, the Lady Monarchs' largest victory of the season. Canady poured in her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Her 13 rebounds were not her only career number as she reset career marks in blocks (4) and assists (3) as well.
30 BELOW:For the 21st time in school history, the Old Dominion women's basketball team kept an opponent under 30 points. The Lady Monarchs did on Dec. 20 in a 70-28 victory over Delaware State. It was the fewest points an opponent as scored against the Lady Monarchs since a 66-27 win at Towson on Feb. 3, 2002.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE:A trio of Lady Monarchs registered double-doubles in the 70-28 victory over Delaware State, the most by Old Dominion this season. sophomore Jessica Canady collecting her first career (12 pts., 13 reb.), senior Megan Pym earning her second of the year (12 pts., 12 reb.), and junior Tiffany Green putting away the 12th of her career (11 pts., 12 reb.).
HEIR JORDAN:Senior guard T.J. Jordan led Old Dominion to a pair of victories over Penn State and No. 20/19 Michigan averaging 19.0 points and 4.0 assists per game to be named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Week for the week ending December 2. It was the Lady Monarchs first weekly conference award of the year. After the Lady Lions held Jordan scoreless in the first half, she lit up the court for 14 second half points to end as the game's leading scorer. Jordan's 14 points helped her surpass the 1,200 career point mark. She followed with a game-high 24 points in ODU's upset over #19/20 Michigan State. It was her second 20 + point effort of the season and 14th of her career.
CAN'T KEEP A GOODLADY MONARCH DOWN:Penn State managed to keep Old Dominion leading scorer T.J. Jordan from hitting a bucket in the first half, but Jordan got revenge in half number two. The senior guard lit up the floor for a game-high 14 points all coming in the second half of action.
OPPONENT HIGH, ODU LOW:Penn State turned the ball over 30 times resulting in 28 points in the Lady Monarchs' 77-49 victory over the Lady Lions. The 30 turnovers were the most for an ODU opponent this season. Conversely, the Lady Monarchs committed only 12 turnovers, a season low for the team.
BEEN AWHILE...:Old Dominion met up with some foes they haven't' seen for awhile at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas over Thanksgiving...but sure do have some memories from the last time they played. The first game featured Connecticut and was the first the Lady Monarch took on the Huskies since the 2002 Elite Eight match-up. When Old Dominion took the court for the second game of the tournament, it was the first time the Lady Monarchs and Stanford faced each other since the thrilling over time national semifinal game in 1997. With Purdue in the third game, it marked the first time 2002 Old Dominion faced the Boilermakers since it's upset over second-seeded and host Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TIME:It's not the post-season just yet, but already one Lady Monarch has been named to an all-tournament team. Senior guard T.J. Jordan averaged 13.3 points in games against #2/2 Connecticut, #4/4 Stanford, and #22/20 Purdue to earn a spot on the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team. Jordan led Old Dominion in scoring with 13 against the Huskies and 17 points against the Boilermakers and also poured in 10 points versus the Cardinal.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN:Coming off a sprained ankle in the meeting with No. 2/2 Connecticut in the first game at the Paradise Jam, senior Megan Pym rebounded by collecting her first career double-double against No. 4/4 Stanford in the tournament. Pym poured in a career-tying 12 points along with 10 rebounds, on board shy of her career mark. It was also Pym's 100th game as a Lady Monarch.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER:Jen Nuzzo has always been regarded as one of the Lady Monarch leaders and it certainly showed against No. 4/4 Stanford in the second game at the Paradise Jam. Nuzzo, a junior point guard, set a new career mark with 14 points, also marking the first time in her career she led ODU in scoring. In the following game against Purdue, Nuzzo reached double figure scoring again, this time added in 10 points.
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT:Old Dominion opened the season with three consecutive wins for the first time since the 1998-1999 season. That season the Lady Monarchs opened the year with five straight wins en-route to the Sweet 16. The five wins came against Marshall, No. 8/12 Teas Tech, No. 10 N.C. State, and Southern California and Southwest Missouri State in the Torneo Cancun de Basquetboll Tournament. The streak came to end in a setback to No.6/7 Alabama in the Wachovia Women's Classic.
WRITING HER NAME INTO HISTORY:Senior guard T.J. Jordan managed to find to more places to put her name in the Old Dominion record books in the Lady Monarchs' 80-59 victory over Charlotte. With a game-high 28 points, Jordan broke the ODU record for most points scored by a Lady Monarch at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The previous record of 27 points was held by Max Nhassengo against Hofstra on Feb. 24, 2004. Additionally with her six three-pointers made, she became the ODU recorder holder for three-pointers made in a career, surpassing Aubrey Eblin's (1995-1999) former mark of 250. Jordan currently has a CAA record 318 made shots from downtown in her career.
DISH IT TO ME:Junior guard Jazzmin Walters dished out a career-high 12 assists in ODU's 88-66 victory over East Carolina, while committing no turnovers. The 5-2 guard recorded five steals as well in the victory. Last season, Walters finished seventh on the sophomore assist leaders list with 100 dishes.
REJECTED:The Old Dominion women's basketball team collected 12 blocks against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 10 to set a new team record at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The previous record of 11 occurred against East Carolina on Nov. 21, 2006 and conference rival UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 24, 2005. Senior Shahida Williams and junior Tiffany Green led the rejections with four apiece. Williams set a new career mark in the block category while sophomore Jessica Canady tied her career mark with three swats.PRESEASON AWARDS:Senior guard T.J. Jordan was a Preseason First Team All-CAA selection for the second consecutive year. Jordan, a two-time CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, averaged a team-leading 14.5 points per game and nearly rewrote every three-point record in the ODU history books. Junior Tiffany Green was named to the Preseason Second Team All-CAA list. Green will be the Lady Monarchs returning leading rebounder as she hauled in 6.0 a year ago along with 8.4 points per game.
SO WE MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME:The only team on the 2007-08 schedule the Lady Monarchs have never faced is Michigan State. The Spartans came to Norfolk on Dec. 2. with Old Dominion earning a 79-73 win.
SO WE MEET AGAIN:The Lady Monarchs continued annual rivalries with Tennessee and Penn State while taking on Middle Tennessee, East Carolina, Delaware State, and Kentucky for the second straight season. It marked the third straight season ODU and Charlotte met on the hardwood while the Lady Monarchs returned a game to Vanderbilt from the 2005-06 season.