March 28, 2008
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS:The Old Dominion women's basketball team, winnersin 25 of their last 26 contests, are ready to keepdancing. Old Dominion heads to the "Sweet 16" forthe first time since the 2002 season and and accomplishedthe feat by dispatching in-state rival, Liberty,82-62, in the first round and using a thrilling 88-85overtime victory against another in-state rival,Virginia, in round number two. While any givenLady Monarch can step up and lead the squad, asmade evident by eight different players leading theteam in scoring, Old Dominion continues to be ledby senior T.J. Jordan. Jordan, the CAA's and ODU'sall-time leading three-point shooter leads OldDominion with 13.0. Along with Jordan, juniorTiffany Green, at 11.3 points per game, and sophomoresuper-sub and "sixth Lady" Jessica Canady, at11.0 points per game, also are pouring in double figures.Green also leads the rebounding corps at 7.6boards per game.
LADY MONARCH MOMENTS:
Since joining the CAA in the 1991-92 season,Old Dominion has captured the league tournamenttitle each season for an NCAA record 17 consecutiveleague titles and owns a 50-0 record in CAATournament action. First round match-up Libertyhas won 11 Big South titles in a row, while "Sweet16" opponent Connecticut won nine titles from1994-02.
Old Dominion is certainly ready for the postseasonhaving faced a difficult schedule. The LadyMonarchs have played seven games against rankedopponents, including three against the nation's top10 - who at one point were ranked No. 1, No. 2,and No. 3 in the nation (Tennessee, Connecticut,Stanford).
Old Dominion holds a 34-23 overall mark inthe NCAA Tournament having captured the nationaltitle in 1985. Overall Old Dominion has made 25appearances. Additionally the Lady Monarchs tookhome the AIAW titles in 1979 and 1980.
With an 82-62 victory over Liberty last Sundayafternoon, the Lady Monarchs picked up its firstwin in NCAA action since the 2002 season snappinga six-game NCAA losing streak.
With an 88-85 victory over Virginia onTuesday night, Old Dominion heads off to the"Sweet 16" for the first time since 2002. It will betheir 12th "Sweet 16" appearance.
The Lady Monarchs have advanced to 12"Sweet 16's", five "Elite Eights", and three "FinalFours."
Old Dominion is now 16-9 in NCAA firstround games with a 82-62 victory over 12th-seededLiberty.
Old Dominion is now 10-6 in NCAA secondround games following an 88-85 thrilling overtimeupset over fourth-seeded Virginia.
POSSIBLE MATCH-UPS IN GREENSBORO:
UCONN
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - UConn
75.6 - Scoring - 65.4
.440 - Field Goal Percentage - .406
.349 .- 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .320
.651 - Free Throw Percentage - .678
42.9 - Rebounds Per Game - 39.3
16.9 - Assists Per Game - 15.1
18.2 - Turnovers Per Game - 17.5
10.9 - Steals Per Game - 9.8
5.3 - Blocks Per Game - 2.5
SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT:Old Dominion is 1-6 all-time against the Huskies.The lone Lady Monarch victory in the seriesoccurred on February 13, 1999 with a 82-77 victoryat the ODU Fieldhouse, the former homecourt of theLady Monarchs before moving to the Ted ConstantConvocation Center in 2002.
SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT IN THENCAA TOURNAMENT:Old Dominion and Connecticut have squared awayin the NCAA Tournament only once...and it was thelast time the Lady Monarchs reached a regional.The Huskies stopped ODU's 2002 NCAA run at the"Elite Eight" with a 85-64 victory.
LAST TIME VS. CONNECTICUT:Tina Charles had 15 points and seven rebounds tolead No. 2 Connecticut to an 86-43 victory againstOld Dominion at the Paradise Jam back onNovember 23rd. The Huskies, ranked second in thenation at the time, improved to 4-0 on the year.Connecticut also got 12 points from ReneeMontgomery and 10 points apiece from MayaMoore and Kalana Greene. The Huskies startedslow, falling behind halfway through the first period,but pulled ahead 37-20 by halftime. T.J. Jordan ledOld Dominion, who suffered its first loss of the season,with 13 points. Trailing 14-13 with 10:52 toplay, Connecticut rattled off nine unanswered points.They ended the half on 15-1 run that included fourbaskets by Charles from close range to go ahead 37-20. The Huskies shot 65 percent from the floor andheld Old Dominion to 29 percent, including 3-for-18from behind the arc.
RUTGERS
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - RU
75.6 Scoring - 61.2
.440 - Field Goal Percentage - .444
.349 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .326
.651 - Free Throw Percentage - .666
42.9 - Rebounds Per Game - 36.5
16.9 Assists Per Game - . 13.4
18.2 - Turnovers Per Game - 14.9
10.9 - Steals Per Game - 7.9
5.3 - Blocks Per Game - 4.0
SERIES WITH RUTGERS:Old Dominion is 13-10 all-time against the ScarletKnights. Should the two squads meet it will markthe eighth consecutive season the Lady Monarchsand Scarlet Knights have squared off.
SERIES WITH RUTGERS IN THENCAA TOURNAMENT:Old Dominion and Rutgers have faced each other inthe NCAA Tournament only once. The ScarletKnights defeated the Lady Monarchs, 88-78, backon March 19, 1988 in the second round of tournamentaction.
LAST TIME VERSUS RUTGERS:The Old Dominion women's basketball team defeated aRutgers squad which advanced to the national championshipgame in a 72-55 victory back on December 30,2006. The visiting Scarlet Knights held a 12-point, 25-13, lead with 5:41 left in the first half before the LadyMonarchs came storming back. Former Lady MonarchSherida Triggs sparked a 16-2 run with the traditionalthree-point play to tie the game at 29-29 with with 2:18remaining in the half. Rutgers did manage to close outthe half on a 6-0 run and entered the locker room ahead,35-29. Rutgers led by as many as eight in the secondhalf, but after Brittany Ray hit a three to give the ScarletKnights a 45-37 advantage with 16:52 left, OldDominion took over the game. From that point, theLady Monarchs would outscore the Scarlet Knights, 35-10. Following Ray's three, Old Dominion went on a 17-2 run holding Rutgers without a field goal for over fiveminutes. Triggs, who went perfect from the line,returned the lead for good to Old Dominion hitting fourconsecutive free throws. Her final shot from the charitystripe gave Old Dominion a 48-47 lead at the 12:59mark and from there the lead only grew for the LadyMonarchs. After Triggs' points from the line, OldDominion went ahead by seven, 54-47, before Rutgers'Kia Vaughan finally put an end to their scoring drought.The Scarlet Knights would only score six more points inthe game over the final 9:50. Down the stretch Rutgerswas held to only one field goal and shot just 4-of-10from the free throw line. Old Dominion shot 47.9 percent(23-of-48) for the game including a blistering 52.2percent (12-of-23) in the second half. Rutgers was heldto 22.2 percent (6-of-27) shooting from floor in halfnumber two after hitting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) in thefirst half. The Lady Monarchs also had a hot handfrom the free throw line. After shooting just 33.3 percent(2-of-6) from the charity stripe in the first half, OldDominion connected on 78.3 percent (18-of-23) fromthe line in the second. Overall four Lady Monarchs registereddouble figures. Former Lady Monarch TishLyons came off the bench to tie Triggs with a team-high14. T.J. Jordan and sophomore Tiffany Green eachscored 10. Then-freshman Epiphanny Prince led allscorers with 17, while Kia Vaughn added 16. EssenceCarson, who entered the game averaging 10.3 points pergame, was held scoreless.
GEORGE WASHINGTON
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - GWU
75.6 - Scoring - 68.1
.440 - Field Goal Percentage - .429
.349 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .338
.651 - Free Throw Percentage - .704
42.9 - Rebounds Per Game - 37.1
16.9 - Assists Per Game - 15.5
18.2 - Turnovers Per Game - 13.4
10.9 - Steals Per Game - 9.8
5.3 - Blocks Per Game - 3.8
SERIES WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON:The Old Dominion/George Washington series is tiedat 2-2 with the Lady Monarchs' last victory in 1996during the Preseason WNIT.
SERIES WITH GEORGE WASHINGTONIN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:Old Dominion and George Washington have metonly once in post-season action. The Colonialshanded the Lady Monarchs an 87-72 defeat in firstround action back in 2006 at the Ted ConstantConvocation Center.
LAST TIME VS. GEORGE WASHINGTON:Sarah-Jo Lawrence scored 20 points and theColonials held off a desperate rally by the host LadyMonarchs 87-72 back on March 19, 2006 in the firstround of the Cleveland Regional. The 10th-seededOld Dominion Lady Monarchs ended the first halfwith the Colonials ahead 40-18 and the LadyMonarchs in desperation mode. With the crowd tryingto help, Old Dominion trimmed its deficit to singledigits for the first time since the first half with5:06 left. It got as close as seven twice in the final2:13, but the Colonials held onto the ball, and thevictory. Old Dominion finished with 20 turnovers leading to23 Colonials points. George Washington also shot 58percent and scored 56 of its points close to the basket.Kimberly Beck added 15 points and 13 assistsfor the Colonials, Whitney Allen had 13 and sistersJessica and Jazmine Adair both had good afternoons.Jessica had 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting, andJazzmin had 10 points and 10 rebounds.ShahidaWilliams led Old Dominion with 19 points, LawonaDavis had 17, with all but two coming in the secondhalf, and Sherida Triggs 15 and seven rebounds.
IT'S NOT THE SIZE OF THE DOG IN THEFIGHT; IT'S THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT INTHE DOG:Just because junior Jazzmin Walters is 5-2, doesn'tmean she can't ball. The smallest player in ODUhistory may had made one of the biggest shots inLady Monarchs lore. Walters connected on a threepointerfrom way beyond the arc with 4.8 secondsleft in overtime to send Old Dominion to the "Sweet16" for the first time since 2002. Walters finishedthe game with a team-leading and career-high 17points along with posting her first career doubledoubleby dishing out the ball 10 times while committingjust one turnover.
REJECTION:Junior Tiffany Green certainly proved why she madethe CAA's All-Defensive Team on Tuesday night insecond round action against Virginia. FollowingJazzmin Walter's three-pointer with 4.8 seconds leftin overtime, Green blocked a shot by the Cavalier'sLyndra Littles at the top of the key helping to sealOld Dominion's 12th berth to a regional game.Green's block in the final seconds also tied hercareer-high with six.
O-T:Tuesday's 88-85 NCAA Second Round overtimevictory over Virginia was Old Dominion's first overtimegame of the season. It was the fifth all-timeovertime game in the NCAA Tournament for theLady Monarchs where Old Dominion is now 5-0 inpost-season extra session. Overall, Old Dominion is11-3 when playing past regulation.
AS CLOSE CAN GET:Old Dominion has certainly had some close games,but the 88-85 overtime victory was the LadyMonarchs' first game decided by three points or lessall season.
ITS A TEAM EFFORT:Five different Lady Monarchs scored in ODU's victoryover Virginia making it the fourth time this seasonOld Dominion had five different student-athletesrecord double digits in a game.
SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES:Its a good sign when the Lady Monarchs have a hothand. Old Dominion is 27-0 when shooting 40 percentor better in a game.
MONKEY OFF THE BACK:With a 82-62 first round win over 12th-seededLiberty, the Lady Monarchs broke a six-game losingstreak in the NCAA Tournament, and a streak of fivestraight losses in the opening round. When reachingthe second round, Old Dominion has been efficient,as the team has now won seven straight secondround games.
SETTING SOME RECORDS STRAIGHT:Two Lady Monarchs placed their names in tournamentrecord books in the 82-62 first round win overLiberty. Senior forward Shahida Williams' 10-for-11shooting (.909) is tied for 7th highest shooting percentageAll-Time in the NCAA Tournament (minimum- 10 made). Williams posted 20 points to set anew career-mark. Megan Pym, who set new careerhighin blocks with seven, is tied for eight all-timein the opening round and tied for 10th all-time in theNCAA Tournament.
PHEW...WHAT A COMEBACK:Old Dominion rallied from an 18-point deficit in its71-64 victory over third-seed VirginiaCommonwealth in the 2008 CAA Championshipgame. It was the largest deficit in the championshipgame the Lady Monarchs have ever had to rallyfrom. The win gave Old Dominion its NCAArecord 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 conferencetitle, more than any other women's team.Liberty, who was Old Dominion's first round opponent,is next on the list having accumulated 11straight Big South titles. "Sweet 16" opponentConnecticut won nine titles from 1994-02.
UNDEFEATED - AT HOME:Old Dominion closes out the year with a 16-0 homerecord. They finished non-conference play at 5-0,CAA play at 9-0, and also earned two NCAATournament victories.
HOME COURT STREAK:The Lady Monarchs are tied with Hartford for thethe nation's top active home court win streak. OldDominion has won 26 straight home contests datingback to the Dec. 20, 2006, 72-55, victory overnational runner-up Rutgers. ODU's last loss at theTed Constant Convocation Center was againstnational champion Tennessee, 59-75, back on Dec.22, 2006.
CAA HOME COURT STREAK:The Lady Monarchs have won 34 straight homeCAA contests dating back to the January 14, 2005,78-59, victory over Virginia Commonwealth. ODU'slast conference loss at the Ted Constant ConvocationCenter was against Delaware, 70-73, on January 9,2005. Old Dominion holds a 161-2 home CAAmark.
HELLO TOP 10 - AP:It might have been for only one week, but the LadyMonarchs did make an appearance in the AssociatedPress Poll's Top Ten. The Lady Monarchs returnedto the Top Ten of the AP Poll for the first time sincethe end of the 1999 season when Old Dominionappeared in the poll at No. 10 during the week ofFebruary 18th. . Old Dominion, who started the seasonunranked, returned to the Top 25 in the AP forweek four following their upset victory overMichigan State on December 2nd. The LadyMonarchs are currently ranked 11th in the poll.
HELLO TOP 25 - ESPN/USA TODAY:The Lady Monarchs cracked the Top 25 of theESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll during week sevencoming at No. 23 following SEC road wins atKentucky and Vanderbilt. It was the Lady Monarchsfirst appearance in the Coaches' Poll since the secondweek of the 2002-03 season. Old Dominionranked as high as No. 11 the week of February 25thand enters the NCAA Tournament at No. 13.
ANOTHER 500 VICTORY MILESTONE:Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry crackedanother 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 LadyMonarch program. To date, Larry has captured a503-164 mark in 21 seasons as the head coach of theLady Monarchs. 501 was just as sweet as it gaveher and her team its 17th consecutive CAA title.Larry reached her 500th career win last seasonagainst Chicago State and has a 552-195 overallmark in 24 seasons as the leader of the OldDominion, Arizona State, and Virginia Wesleyanprograms.
ANOTHER THREE POINT RECORD:Senior T.J. Jordan became the CAA's all-time leaderin three-point field goals with her first three of thenight in a 82-44 win over George Mason onFebruary 28th. She hit the record breaking trey with19:46 left in the second half. "At halftime I wastelling myself 'take your time, take open shots'," saidJordan. "The ball was reversed back to me and theywere guarding me pretty far back with their handsdown. It felt good when it left my hand. I knew itwas going in." Modestly Jordan added of herrecord, "It means a lot." Jordan surpassed the previousrecord of 309 held by Julie Jones (Richmond -1988-92). Jordan is just one of three total and twoactive CAA women's basketball players to hit 300 ormore career three's joining Jones and Drexel'sNarissa Suber. Jordan currently has 322 three pointfield goal made to date.
RACKING UP THE WIN COLUMN:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs enter the postseasonwith a 31-4 overall mark. Its the most winsfor the program since the 1996-97 season when theLady Monarchs captured a 34-2 overall mark andreached the championship game of the NCAATournament. Old Dominion has now posted six 30+win seasons in history.
CRACKING A TOP TEN:Junior Jazzmin Walters cracked the the top ten juniorassist list at Old Dominion on February 7th in theLady Monarchs' 71-61 win at George Mason.Walters, who entered the game needing two assiststo crack the list, dished out six against the Patriotsand vaulted immediately into seventh place. Waltersnow stands at second on the list with 176 assists toher name in the 2007-08 season with only ODU legendsNancy Lieberman and Ticha Penicheiro aheadof her on the list.
ANOTHER LIST:With six rebounds against Towson in the LadyMonarchs' CAA semifinal victory over Towson,sophomore super-sub Jessica Canady moved ontothe ODU Sophomore Rebounding list. Canady currentlysits in 10th with 223 rebounds in her secondyear with the Lady Monarchs.
ABOUT TO CRACK TWO LISTS:Junior Tiffany Green could possibly put her nameonto two Old Dominion records lists when the LadyMonarchs take on Connecticut in this weekend'sGreensboro regional. Green has 985 points needing15 more to become the 26th Lady Monarch in historyto notch 1,000 career points. She would jointeammate T.J. Jordan as the only other active memberon the list. Green also also hauled in 265 boardin her third season with the team needing just fivemore rebounds to move into the top 10 of the OldDominion junior rebounding list.
PASSING A LEGEND:Senior T.J. Jordan has moved up nine spots on theODU all-time scoring list since the beginning of theseason. Jordan has already surpassed currentWNBA Sacramento Monarch Ticha Penicheiro. twotimeCAA Player of the Year and 2002 WNBAdraftee Lucienne Berthieu, fellow Hampton Roadsnative and three-time CAA MVP Shareese Grant,2002 WNBA draftee and Houston Comets memberHamchetou Maiga on the all-time list. Jordan currentlyhas 1,522 career points and sits in 13th on theall-time list.
IT'S A CLINCHER:The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs clinched the2008 CAA regular season title and the top seed forthe CAA Tournament in a 82-44 win over GeorgeMason back on February 28th. The Lady Monarchshave been the No. 1 seed at the CAA Tournament 14times in the last 17 years.
THINK PINK:February 10th was the Old Dominion's women'sbasketball team's fifth annual "HOOPS FOR ACURE" game. A regular season-high 4,825 fanshelped "PINK OUT" the Ted ConstantConvocation Center in the Lady Monarchs' 83-68win over William & Mary.
PUTTING UP THE POINTS:On February 3rd, Old Dominion collected a seasonhighin points with a 93-56 win over the Seahawks.The 93 points were the most scored by the teamsince netting 94 against Hofstra in the semifinals ofthe CAA Tournament back on March 10, 2006.
TRY THIS ON FOR NUMBERS:The 93-56 win over UNC-Wilmington on February3rd was the Lady Monarchs 300th win in CAA playsince joining the league in 1991-92. Old Dominionholds a 311-17 overall record in 17 years in the conference.
SIXTH LADY:Sophomore Jessica Canady, Old Dominion's sixthman...or lady, was named the CAA Player of theWeek for the second time this season on January28th. She averaged 23.5 points and 11.0 reboundsand shot 68 percent from the field coming off thebench in helping the No. 13/18 Old Dominionwomen's basketball team to back-to-back 30+ pointvictories Canady poured in a career-high 28 pointsagainst Northeastern, which included 22 first halfpoints along with a string of 14 consecutive points.With the Lady Monarchs down 10-4 in the early partof the opening half, Canady went on a 14-1 run ofher own to give Old Dominion the lead for good.Against Delaware, Old Dominion's "sixth woman"collected her third double-double of the season with19 points and a career-high 15 boards. Canady iscurrently averaging a team second-best 11.6 pointsper game.
ALL-TIME LOWS:Old Dominion gave Delaware some numbers to forgetin its 76-37 victory on January 27th. The LadyMonarchs got the Fightin' Blue Hens to shoot theirlowest field goal percentage in school history (20.3percent) and score their lowest point total sincemoving to the Bob Carpenter Center. Their previouslow was a 42-point effort in a setback to St.John's on March 17, 2005. Delaware misfired on allthree of its 3-pointers and finished the game withjust three assists. Kyle DeHaven, Delaware's leadingscorer at 11.8 points, was limited to a seasonlowtwo points on 1-of-14 shooting.
DEJA FREE THROW:For two straight years, Old Dominion has escapedWilliamsburg with a win over William & Marythanks to free throws from junior Tiffany Green.Green was at the line with 1:11 remaining againstthe Tribe, putting the Lady Monarch junior in a similarcircumstance to last year. In 2007, Green, who attimes struggles from the charity stripe, iced two freethrows to seal last year's victory. This year, Greenonce again went to the line, with Old Dominionclinging to a one-point lead, and nailed both her freethrow attempts and followed up with a lay-up afterthe Tribe missed a three-pointer in an attempt to tiethe 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 havingan off-night, six different Lady Monarchs scored indouble figures to help lead ODU to victory. Thebench was also a tremendous help as well as theyoutscored the Ram bench 37-15.
WHAT A RUN:It may have been James Madison ahead at the halfby two, in the first meeting with the Dukes onJanuary 13th, but an electrifying second half thatincluded a 26-0 run by the Lady Monarchs helpedspark the Lady Monarchs to a 82-57 win. OldDominion outscored James Madison, 49-22, in thesecond half.
SIZE DOESN'T MATTER:Just because junior Jazzmin Walters is 5-2, doesn'tmean she can't hang with the tall girls. While ninemembers of the Vanderbilt women's basketball teamare 5-11 or taller, it was five-foot-two JazzminWalter's who was the game's leading rebounder inODU's match-up with the then No. 21/20Commodores. Walters hauled in a career-high sevenboards as Old Dominion outrebounded Vanderbilt,40-29. Walters repeated her career rebounding performanceagainst Virginia Commonwealth onJanuary 17th, which included six defensive reboundsagainst a squad that had eight members at 5-10 ortaller.
COUNT TO TEN:With a 79-59 victory over Georgia State to open upthe CAA portion of its schedule on January 6th, theLady Monarchs collected their 10th win of the season.It was the fastest Old Dominion has collected10 wins since the 1997-98 team accomplished thefeat on January 4th.
CANADY SEEING DOUBLE:Sophomore Jessica Canady, who helped the LadyMonarchs improve to 17-0 all-time in CAA openersin a 79-59 win at Georgia State, was named theColonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of theWeek for the week ending January 6th. She is thesecond Lady Monarch to earn a weekly honor fromthe conference this season. Canady came off thebench and poured in a then career-high 21 pointsalong with 10 rebounds. It was her second doubledoubleof the season and of her career and the firsttime in her career she scored over 20 points in agame. Canady shot a blistering 7-of-8 from the field(87.5 percent) and a perfect 7-of-7 from the freethrow line.
THE RETURN OF JORDAN:Old Dominion's victory over Kentucky saw thereturn of leading scorer, senior guard T.J. Jordan,who had missed the previous two games (Tennessee,Delaware State) with a stress reaction in her leftfoot. Jordan picked up right where she left off nettinga game-high 22 points. In the first half, she had10 points while playing 13 minutes. Jordan wasinvolved in a scary incident with 8:26 remaining inthe game. After getting elbowed in the stomach, triggeringan asthma attack, Jordan was able to get backdown the court to help Old Dominion complete theplay. After leaving the court, Jordan returned a fewminutes later and finished out the game.
NON-CONFERENCE COMESTO A CLOSE:The Lady Monarchs enter the CAA slate with a 9-3mark against non-CAA competition, their best nonconferencerecord since going 7-3 in non-conferenceaction since the 1998-99 season.
WAY TO START:The Lady Monarchs opened the 2007-08 seasonwith a 6-2 overall mark. Among the six victories arewins over two ranked teams in Purdue and MichiganState as well as conference champions from the SunBelt (Middle Tennessee) and Conference USA (EastCarolina). Both losses happened against teamranked in the top four at the time of play - UConn &Stanford. It is the best start for the Lady Monarchssince the 1999-2000 season when Old Dominionopened up the year 7-1.
RANKED AND ON THE ROAD:Old Dominion's win at then No. 21/20 Vanderbiltwas the Lady Monarchs first true road win (non-neutralsite) since defeating Purdue in West Lafayette inthe second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
THREE AGAINST THE SEC:The BIG 10 is not the only conference the LadyMonarchs saw three times during non-conferenceplay. Old Dominion took on Tennessee, Kentucky,and Vanderbilt of the SEC with defending MEACchampion Delaware State breaking up the mix. TheLady Monarchs went 2-1 against the SEC havingdropped its contest at then top-ranked Tennesseeback on Dec. 5. They followed with a pair of roadwins, a 71-62 win over Kentucky at MemorialColiseum and a 80-65 win over then No. 21/20Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium.
THREE IN A ROW AGAINST THE BIG 10:Old Dominion made it back-to-back-to-back victoriesover the BIG 10. The Lady Monarchs returnedfrom a 66-53 upset win over then No. 22/20 Purdueat the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, only to returnhome to see two more BIG 10 squads. OldDominion then proceeded to down Penn State, 77-49, and upset then No. 19/20 Michigan State, 79-73.
30 BELOW:For the 21st time in school history, the OldDominion women's basketball team kept an opponentunder 30 points. The Lady Monarchs did onDec. 20 in a 70-28 victory over Delaware State. Itwas the fewest points an opponent as scored againstthe Lady Monarchs since a 66-27 win at Towson onFeb. 3, 2002.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE:A trio of Lady Monarchs registered double-doublesin the 70-28 victory over Delaware State, the mostby Old Dominion this season. sophomore JessicaCanady 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 puttingaway the 12th of her career (11 pts., 12 reb.).
HEIR JORDAN:Senior guard T.J. Jordan led Old Dominion to a pairof victories over Penn State and No. 20/19 Michiganaveraging 19.0 points and 4.0 assists per game to benamed the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Playerof the Week for the week ending December 2. Itwas the Lady Monarchs first weekly conferenceaward of the year. After the Lady Lions held Jordanscoreless in the first half, she lit up the court for 14second half points to end as the game's leading scorer.Jordan's 14 points helped her surpass the 1,200career point mark. She followed with a game-high24 points in ODU's upset over #19/20 MichiganState. It was her second 20 + point effort of the seasonand 14th of her career.
20/20:Old Dominion had two score 20 or more points inthe upset win over Michigan State. Senior guardT.J. Jordan led all scorers with 24 points in her second20+ point performance of the year and the 14thof her career. Junior forward/center Tiffany Greenposted 20 points to tie her career mark. Green alsopoured in 20 points against CAA rival William &Mary her freshman year in January of 2005.
CAN'T KEEP A GOODLADY MONARCH DOWN:Penn State managed to keep Old Dominion leadingscorer T.J. Jordan from hitting a bucket in the firsthalf, but Jordan got revenge in half number two.The senior guard lit up the floor for a game-high 14points all coming in the second half of action.
OPPONENT HIGH, ODU LOW:Penn State turned the ball over 30 times resulting in28 points in the Lady Monarchs' 77-49 victory overthe Lady Lions. The 30 turnovers were the most foran ODU opponent this season. Conversely, the LadyMonarchs committed only 12 turnovers, a seasonlow for the team.
BEEN AWHILE...:Old Dominion met up with some foes they haven't'seen for awhile at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomasover Thanksgiving...but sure do have some memoriesfrom the last time they played. The first gamefeatured Connecticut and was the first the LadyMonarch took on the Huskies since the 2002 EliteEight match-up. When Old Dominion took the courtfor the second game of the tournament, it was thefirst time the Lady Monarchs and Stanford facedeach other since the thrilling over time nationalsemifinal game in 1997. With Purdue in the thirdgame, it marked the first time 2002 Old Dominionfaced the Boilermakers since it's upset over secondseededand host Purdue in the second round of theNCAA Tournament in 2002.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TIME:It's wasn't the post-season just yet, but one LadyMonarch was named to an all-tournament team earlierthis season. Senior guard T.J. Jordan averaged13.3 points in games against #2/2 Connecticut, #4/4Stanford, and #22/20 Purdue to earn a spot on theParadise Jam All-Tournament Team. Jordan led OldDominion in scoring with 13 against the Huskiesand 17 points against the Boilermakers and alsopoured 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 ParadiseJam, senior Megan Pym rebounded by collecting herfirst career double-double against No. 4/4 Stanfordin the tournament. Pym poured in a career-tying 12points along with 10 rebounds, on board shy of hercareer mark. It was also Pym's 100th game as aLady Monarch.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER:Jen Nuzzo has always been regarded as one of theLady Monarch leaders and it certainly showedagainst No. 4/4 Stanford in the second game at theParadise Jam. Nuzzo, a junior point guard, set anew career mark with 14 points, also marking thefirst time in her career she led ODU in scoring. Inthe following game against Purdue, Nuzzo reacheddouble figure scoring again, this time added in 10points.
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT:Old Dominion opened the season with three consecutivewins for the first time since the 1998-1999 season.That season the Lady Monarchs opened theyear with five straight wins en-route to the Sweet16. The five wins came against Marshall, No. 8/12Teas Tech, No. 10 N.C. State, and SouthernCalifornia and Southwest Missouri State in theTorneo Cancun de Basquetboll Tournament. Thestreak came to end in a setback to No.6/7 Alabamain the Wachovia Women's Classic.
WRITING HER NAME INTO HISTORY:Senior guard T.J. Jordan managed to find to moreplaces to put her name in the Old Dominion recordbooks in the Lady Monarchs' 80-59 victory overCharlotte. With a game-high 28 points, Jordanbroke the ODU record for most points scored by aLady Monarch at the Ted Constant ConvocationCenter. The previous record of 27 points was heldby Max Nhassengo against Hofstra on Feb. 24,2004. Additionally with her six three-pointers made,she became the ODU recorder holder for threepointersmade in a career, surpassing Aubrey Eblin's(1995-1999) former mark of 250. Jordan currentlyhas a CAA record 322 made shots from downtownin her career.
DISH IT TO ME:Junior guard Jazzmin Walters dished out a careerhigh12 assists in ODU's 88-66 victory over EastCarolina, while committing no turnovers. The 5-2guard recorded five steals as well in the victory.Last season, Walters finished seventh on the sophomoreassist leaders list with 100 dishes.
REJECTED:The Old Dominion women's basketball team collected12 blocks against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 10to set a new team record at the Ted ConstantConvocation Center. The previous record of 11occurred against East Carolina on Nov. 21, 2006 andconference rival UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 24, 2005.
RANK `EM UP - ESPN/USA TODAY POLL:The Lady Monarchs took on six teams rankedamong the nation's top 25 in the ESPN/USA TodayWomen's Basketball Preseason Poll. Among theteams the Lady Monarchs opponents were threeteams in the poll's top ten in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2Connecticut, and No. 8 Stanford. Other LadyMonarch opponents included No. 17 Vanderbilt, No.18 Michigan State, and No. 20 Purdue. OldDominion opponents receiving votes in the preseasonpoll included Middle Tennessee, who will servedas the Lady Monarchs season and home opener onNovember 10th, as well as Kentucky.
RANK `EM UP - AP POLL:The Lady Monarchs took on five teams rankedamong the nation's top 25 in the Associated PressWomen's Basketball Preseason Poll. Among theteams the Lady Monarchs took on included threeteams in the poll's top ten in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2Connecticut, and No. 7 Stanford. Other upcomingLady Monarch opponents included No. 17 MichiganState and No. 23 Vanderbilt Old Dominion opponentsreceiving votes in the preseason poll wereMiddle Tennessee, Kentucky, and Purdue.
WELCOME TO THE TED:Since the doors opened at the Ted ConstantConvocation Center in 2002, the Lady Monarchshave enjoyed a 81-12 record.
PRESEASON AWARDS:Senior guard T.J. Jordan was a Preseason First TeamAll-CAA selection for the second consecutive year.Jordan, a two-time CAA Tournament MostOutstanding Player, averaged a team-leading 14.5points per game and nearly rewrote every three-pointrecord in the ODU history books. Junior TiffanyGreen was named to the Preseason Second TeamAll-CAA list. Green will be the Lady Monarchsreturning leading rebounder as she hauled in 6.0 ayear ago along with 8.4 points per game.
CAA PRESEASON POLL - WE'RE #1:Old Dominion was picked to repeat as conferencechampion in 2007-08 according to a vote of theleague's coaches, sports information directors andmedia. The Lady Monarchs, who posted their 16thconsecutive 20-win season last year, were followedin the voting by James Madison, William & Mary,VCU and Delaware. Picked sixth was Towson, followedby Hofstra, Drexel, Georgia State,Northeastern, UNC Wilmington, and George Mason.
SO WE MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME:The only team on the 2007-08 schedule the LadyMonarchs have never faced is Michigan State. TheSpartans came to Norfolk on Dec. 2. with OldDominion earning a 79-73 win.
SO WE MEET AGAIN:The Lady Monarchs continued annual rivalries withTennessee and Penn State while taking on MiddleTennessee, East Carolina, Delaware State, andKentucky for the second straight season. It markedthe third straight season ODU and Charlotte met onthe hardwood while the Lady Monarchs returned agame to Vanderbilt from the 2005-06 season.
COLONIAL DOMINANCE: Old Dominion has captured 16-straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles since joining theleague from the Sun Belt Conference during the 1991-92 season. TheLady Monarchs are in the NCAA record books for capturing the mostconsecutive conference championships. In league play, Old Dominionholds a 311-17 overall record, which includes eights seasons of undefeatedplay. The Lady Monarchs hold a 161-2 record at home and a150-15 road record. Only two CAA losses have occurred on OldDominion's homecourt. The first was back at the ODU Fieldhouse,the former Lady Monarch homecourt from 1969-2002, againstRichmond, now of the Atlantic-10, with a 70-74 defeat on February19, 1992 and the second versus Delaware with a 70-73 setback onJanuary 9, 2005. Five schools in the league have yet to beat the LadyMonarchs - Georgia State (6-0), George Mason (43-0), Northeastern(5-0), UNC-Wilmington (36-0), and Towson (12-0).