Feb. 26, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team held on to fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) race with a 65-57 victory over Towson Thursday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Sophomore Jasmine Parker (Norfolk, Va.) netted 15 points as one of three Lady Monarchs in double figures. Classmate Sierra Little (Greensboro, N.C.) hauled in 10 rebounds to help her squad snap a two-game slide.
The Lady Monarchs still remain in the hunt for a fourth place finish in the league standings come the end of the regular season. Old Dominion needs one more victory to claim the fourth and final first round bye spot for the upcoming CAA Tournament. The win improved ODU to 15-11 overall and 10-6 in the CAA as they remain two games ahead of Towson, UNC-Wilmington, and Hofstra as the regular season comes to a close.
The Tigers meanwhile fall to 16-10 overall and 8-8 in the CAA.
The game also marked the return of senior Jazzmin Walters (Norfolk, Va.). Walters, a 5-2 senior who has missed the last eight games nursing a fractured fibula suffered in January 25th's loss to James Madison, returned to the hardwood for six points, four steals, and seven assists.
Old Dominion over came a cold shooting first half for a strong second half finish. The Lady Monarchs shot just 22 percent (8-of-36) from the floor in the opening stanza as compared to the Tigers' 53 percent (10-of-19), but trailed by only four at the half, 21-25. Neither team was able to hit a bucket in the final 4:39 of the half.
The second half however saw a hot hand return to the Lady Monarchs. Parker drilled a three from the right side of the arc to give Old Dominion its first lead of the game at the 12:40 mark for a 39-38 edge. The Lady Monarchs would never trail the rest of the night. Parker's three was the first of seven straight points for the sophomore as Old Dominion headed out on a 9-2 run.
The Lady Monarchs led by as many as eight in the second half. A Walter's jumper at the eight minute mark gave her squad a 51-43 lead, but Towson would claw back to within one. Following Walter's bucket, the Tigers produced their own 9-2 run to cut its deficit to 53-52 with 6:04 remaining. The Lady Monarchs defense however would only allow the Tigers one last field goal however the rest of the night.
Freshman Mairi Buchan (Stirlingshire, Scotland) scored a basket with her toes on the three-point line and junior Jessica Canady (Williamsburg, Va.) nailed a three from near the top of the key to bump Old Dominion's advantage to six, 58-52, with 5:08 left.
Towson's Kandice Davis collected a putback on the following play for the Tigers, however that would be the final field goal of the night for her squad. Over the final 4:48 of the game, Old Dominion would only let Towson record three more points, all stemming from free throws.
Canady narrowly missed her third straight double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Shadasia Green (Patterson, N.J.) posted 12 points.
Little's 10 rebounds set a new career-high for the second year Lady Monarch. Old Dominion was outrebounded, 41-38.
Towson was led by Shanae Baker-Brice with a game-high 18 points. Katrina Wheeler had 12 points in the Tiger loss and Haliena Snowden contributed 11 points and eight boards.
The Old Dominion women's basketball team hits the road one last time in the regular season. The Lady Monarchs head to Harrisonburg, Va and site of the 2009 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Old Dominion wrap up the season series with James Madison looking to avenge its 67-72 loss to the Dukes from January 25th, which had snapped a 37-game CAA home win streak. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m.