March 11, 2010
CAA QUARTERFINALS
Radio: ESPN Radio 94.1 FM
Audio: Monarch TV
Video: Courtesy of CAASports.com
Live Stats: Courtesy of CAASports.com
ABOUT OLD DOMINION:
The ODU women's basketball team, winners of an NCAA record 17 consecutive Colonial Athletic Association titles prior to last year, will be entering the CAA Tournament not as the reigning champion for the first time since they first joined the league in 1991-92. This year, they enter the postseason as the top seed after claiming the regular season title with a 14-4 CAA record. The team went 16-14 overall this season, which included one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. Playing a team brand of basketball this year, four Lady Monarchs are averaging 9.5 points per game or more -- the only team in the league with as many active players averaging that many. Senior Jessica Canady has been a leader on the floor, averaging 9.6 points per game and hauling in 6.3 rebounds, but juniors Shadasia Green and Jasmine Parker have been the scoring leaders so far for ODU. Green leads the team with 11.4 points per game, and is adding 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and just over one steal per game as well. Parker has turned up her play in CAA action, averaging 12.2 points per game in league play, 11.0 points per game overall. She also has set career marks for assists (102), steals (71), rebounds (84) and blocked shots (5). Tia Lewis rounds out the Lady Monarchs top four in scoring, posting 10.9 points per game while also leading the team in rebounding with 7.7 boards per contest. Lewis is a sophomore forward who has started all but one game in her career. Point guard Kquanise Byrd rounds out the starting five for Old Dominion, a junior transfer from Florida.
POST-SEASON AWARD RECAP:
Head coach Wendy Larry earned her eighth CAA Coach of the Year award after leading the Lady Monarchs to the regular season title and a top seed in the 2010 CAA Tournament. Junior Jasmine Parker headlined the players, being named to the All-CAA Second Team and the CAA All-Defensive Team. Two Lady Monarchs earned All-CAA Third Team honors, in senior Jessica Canady, her third postseason nod, and junior Shadasia Green, her first.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN:
Earlier this season, Northeastern earned its first ever win over the Lady Monrachs in the only matchup this season. The Huskies stretched Old Dominion to three overtimes before outlasting the Lady Monarchs, 100-94. The Lady Monarchs committed a season-high 40 turnovers in the loss, as the loss puts the all-time series at 7-1 in favor of ODU. This will be the first time the two teams have met in the CAA Tournament.
SERIES WITH NORTHEASTERN IN THE CAA TOURNAMENT:
This will be the first time the two teams have met in the CAA Tournament. Northeastern joined the league in 2005 and have reached the Quarterfinals in four of their five seasons in the league.
ABOUT #8 NORTHEASTERN:
The Huskies finished with a 12-17 overall mark including a 7-11 record in CAA play. The eighth seed in this year's CAA Tournament, the Huskies were picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll. Leading scorer Brittany Wilson (14.5 ppg) was held to just five points in the opening round game against Georgia State, but senior Kendra Walton picked up the slack with a double-double, pouring in 14 points and 11 rebounds. They turned the ball over 23 times, but won the battle on the boards, 43-30, and completed a big second-half comeback after being down by as many as 12 to the Panthers. Northeastern has three players averaging double figures with Wilson, Walton and second leading scorer, Kim Carr, with 12.3 points per game.