Jan. 30, 2010
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Game 19
Sunday, January 31st - 2:00 p.m. (EST)
Old Dominion University Lady Monarchs (9-9, 7-1 CAA) vs.
Hofstra University Pride (11-9, 4-4 CAA)
Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,600) - Norfolk, Va.
TV: None
Radio: ESPN Radio 94.1 FM
Live Stats: Gametracker
Online Audio: Monarch TV
Online Video: Monarch TV
NORFOLK, Va. -- The ODU Lady Monarchs (9-9, 7-1) will be looking to extend their league-best six-game winning streak this sunday as they host the Hofstra Pride (11-9, 4-4) at 2:00 p.m. Old Dominion has gone 7-1 in January with their only loss coming on the road in triple overtime to Northeastern.
The coaches will be wearing sneakers with their suits in honor of the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative to benefit the American Cancer Society. The ODU coaches are working in conjunction with all the men's and women's coaches from the six area schools to present a Half Moon Cruise and Celebration on April 14. The event will represent a "Full Court Press" against cancer as the 757 coaches help raise money for Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Lady Monarchs are coming off a road win over the College of William & Mary, dropping the Tribe 88-65 in the finest shooting effort of the season for Old Dominion. Meanwhile, the Pride are coming off their biggest win of the season, a road victory against RV/RV James Madison University in overtime. It was the first time Hofstra had defeated JMU on the road since 2003-04.
On any given night the Lady Monarchs lean on a different scorer to lead the way, including leading scorer Shadasia Green (12.7 ppg) or leading rebounder Tia Lewis (7.9 rpg). However, in CAA games this year, junior Jasmine Parker and senior Jessica Canady have been leading the charge most often. Parker has a pair of 22-point games and is averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game in CAA action; Canady is second in the CAA in field goal percentage is averaging 12.0 ppg and 8.8 rpg in CAA games.
Canady reached the 900-point plateau in the last game and now has 904 career points with 10 regular season games left to play.
Hofstra has been led by rookie rebounding machine Shante Evans. Evans is leading the CAA in rebounding with 9.1 per contest and is also leading the Pride in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game. As a team, the Pride are leading the team in rebounding margin and are also a prolific blocking team, leading the CAA with nearly six swats per game.
Tip is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Stay tuned to odusports.com for any weather-related updates.
Today's Game:
All-Time Series - Old Dominion owns a 16-2 advantage in the all-time series against Hofstra, including wins in 11of the last 12 meetings. Hofstra, however, won last years only matchup at home, defeating the Lady Monarchs 66-51 and handing them their fifth loss in CAA action, tying for a record-high. All 18 matchups have come since Hofstra joined the league in 2001-02.
About the Pride - The Pride are battle-tested this year in close games, with a season scoring margin of +2.0 and 13 of their 20 games being decided by 10 or fewer games. Hofstra has three one-point losses, first to Clemson and Richmond before also dropping a one-point decision at Southern Methodist.
The Pride have an 11-9 record coming into today's game, but feature one of the league's top rookies performers and are a stellar defensive unit. The rookie, Shante Evans, is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game and is tops in the league on the glass. Evans averages over nine rebounds per contest while knocking down 48.8% from the field.
As a team, the Pride is leading the league in blocked shots, powered by league leader Jess Fuller's nearly four per game. The New York team is also leading the league in rebounding margin as they are pulling down 42 boards per game.
Offensively, Sam Brigham joins Evans atop the leaderboard as the only other Pride player averaging double-figures. Brigham is putting up 10.5 ppg as the top deep-ball threat on the team. Brigham is shooting 44.8% from beyond the arc, knocking down 26 of her 58 attempts.
Approaching 900
With a win today, the Lady Monarchs will become just the third team in NCAA history with 900 victories in program history. Old Dominion is looking to join Tennessee and Louisiana Tech as the only two programs in NCAA history at any level to reach 900 wins. ODU boasts an 899-309 record in this, the 41st year of women's basketball at Old Dominion.
Another Milestone to Watch For
ODU is also just three wins shy of the century mark in their home building. Since the doors to the Ted Constant Convocation Center opened in 2002-03, the Lady Monarchs have posted a dominant 97-18 record at home. The team was averaging nearly 12 wins per year in The Ted prior to this season.
Whew! That Was Close
ODU is excelling in tight ball games this season, winning five of the seven games decided by single digits, including three straight at JMU, against Georgia State and on the road against Towson. Old Dominion's closest game this season was a 1-point win at Delaware, powered to victory by Jasmine Parker taking a charge and knocking down a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the game.
Three-Point Defense
JMU, one of the nation's top long-ball teams, was able to knock down just a pair of 3-pointers on 23 attempts against the Lady Monarchs. For the season, ODU ranks third in the CAA in 3-pt FG percentage defense, allowing just 29.2% from beyond the arc. In conference only games, ODU leads the league, allowing an abysmal 19.3% from long range (23-for-119).
Hot Conference Shooting
ODU can be found among the league leaders in several statistical categories. In conference games this season, sophomore Tia Lewis is leading the league in field goal percentage, knocking down 61.2% of her shots. In fact, ODU holds the top two spots. Senior Jessica Canady is second in the league, with 57.8% of her shots falling.
As a team, Old Dominion is leading the league in schooting percentage. ODU is shooting at a 45.2% clip while Delaware is second at 42.8% as a team. The Lady Monarchs are also scorching from long-range, shooting 34.4% from beyond the arc in CAA games, second in the league. ODU also ranks second in free-throw shooting, knocking down 76.9% from the charity stripe.
CAA Preseason Poll
The Lady Monarchs were picked to finish third in the CAA Preseason Rankings, as voted on by the head coaches. Defending champions Drexel were pegged as the top team heading into 2009-10 with James Madison also selected ahead of ODU.
2009-10 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish:
1. Drexel
2. James Madison
3. Old Dominion
4. Delaware
5. VCU
6. Towson
7. Hofstra
8. UNC Wilmington
9. William and Mary
10. Northeastern
11. Georgia State
12. George Mason