WHO: William & Mary Tribe vs. Old Dominion Lady Monarchs
WHEN: Mon., Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Ted Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, Va.)
MEDIA: ESPN 94.1 FM (Hampton Roads)/Monarch Media
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion University women’s basketball team (1-0) will host cross-town rival William & Mary (1-0) on Monday, Nov. 17. The game is slated to take place at the Ted Constant Center at 7:00 p.m.
HOW TO TUNE IN
Monday’s contest will be video streamed live in HD through Monarch Media on ODUSports.com and will also air live on ESPN 94.1 FM Hampton Roads with Doug Ripley (Voice of the Lady Monarchs) on play-by-play and Susan Montgomery (former Lady Monarch assistant coach) handling color duties.
2014-15 LADY MONARCHS
ODU enters Monday night’s matchup with a 1-0 record after taking down Presbyterian by a score of 41-26 on Friday. 26 points ties the fewest points against by an ODU opponent since it held Towson to 26 in the 2001-02 season opener. For the game, Presbyterian shot just 22.4% (11-49) from the floor, 5.3% (1-19) from three and 50% (3-6) from the free-throw line. Destinee Young was named the Cox Communications Player of the Game after scoring eight points, grabbing seven rebounds, blocking three shots, compiling three steals and dishing out two assists. Jennie Simms led all scorers with 12 points to go along with five rebounds. Redshirt senior Chelisa Painter scored nine points and hauled down eight rebounds.
The Lady Monarchs are now in their second season of Conference USA play and their fourth season under the direction of head coach Karen Barefoot. Under her tutelage, ODU racked up 18 wins en route to its second consecutive WNIT berth during the 2013-14 season after going 19-12 in 2012-13. The Lady Monarchs finished the 2013-14 season strong, winning nine of their last 13 games while handing Southern Miss its only home loss of the season.
Coach Barefoot’s incoming recruiting class has been ranked No. 43 for 2014-15 by the All-Star Report, the highest of any team in Conference USA. Old Dominion averaged 2,884 fans per contest for the 2013-14 regular season, ranking second in Conference USA and No. 38 overall in the country.
The Lady Monarchs were picked to finish No. 6 overall in the 2014-15 Conference USA Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Middle Tennessee has been picked to repeat as Conference USA women's basketball champion. Senior forward Chastity Gooch of C-USA newcomer WKU has been tabbed the league's Preseason Player of the Year.
This year’s Old Dominion squad is headlined by redshirt sophomore forward, Jennie Simms, who had to sit out last season due to NCAA rules after transferring from West Virginia University. Redshirt junior guard, Ashley Betz-White, returns to the hardwood this season after taking a medical redshirt in 2013-14. Betz-White was the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2011-12. Joining Simms and Betz-White are redshirt sophomore Annika Holopainen, who also had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Holopainen was named to the West Coast Conference (WCC) All-Freshman Team in 2012-13 at the University of Portland.
Chelisa Painter is the Lady Monarchs top point/rebound returner after averaging 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2013-14. Tiffany Minor also returns for her senior campaign after compiling 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest just a season ago.
The Lady Monarchs also return Odegua Oigbokie (5.3 pts/3.4 rebs), LaQuanda Younger (2.3 pts/1.6 rebs) and Destinee Young (2.6 pts/2.5 rebs), who will look to contribute to ODU’s continued success for the 2014-15 season.
The Old Dominion women’s basketball program carries a 978-372 (72.4%) all-time record since 1970, placing them 22 wins shy of the 1,000 mark.
Also, for all-time record at the Ted, ODU has compiled a 146-44 mark since the 2002-03 season, leaving the squad just 4 wins shy of tallying 150 at the Constant Center.
MEET WILLIAM & MARY
The Tribe will enter Monday’s contest with a 1-0 record after a thrilling one-point victory (72-71) against Loyola on Friday.
William & Mary entered the 2014-15 season returning 10 players from last year’s roster, including three all-Colonial Athletic Association conference selections Jazmen Boone (CAA All-Defensive Team) and Kyla Kerstetter (CAA All-Academic) along with sophomore Marlena Tremba (CAA Rookie of the Year).
Head Coach Ed Swanson returns for his second season at the helm of the Tribe and will look to improve on the team’s 8-21 overall record and 5-11 conference mark from a year ago. Unlike last season however, William & Mary now has a year of Swanson’s system under its belt, and for the first time in his tenure had a full offseason workout program.
Swanson’s squad will be captained by seniors Jazmen Boone and Kyla Kerstetter, but will not be void of young talent as the 2014-15 season will contain the first recruiting class that Swanson and his coaching staff have brought to William & Mary. Among these, highly touted recruits Jenna Green, Jeanne Gaumont, Abby Rendle, and Ashley DeLeonibus will be in action for the Tribe along with a pair of walk-ons in Jenna Carroll and Camila Prock.
OLD DOMINION PROBABLE STARTERS
No. 03 Chelisa Painter (F/RSr./6-1/Chesapeake, Va.)
No. 11 Ashley Betz-White(G/RJr./5-4/Harrisburg, Pa.)
No. 25 Jennie Simms(F/RSo./6-0/Accokeek, Md.)
No. 32 Tiffany Minor (G/Sr./6-0/Upper Marlboro, Md.)
No. 34 Odegua Oigbokie (F/So./6-1/Memphis, Tenn.)
WILLIAM & MARY PROBABLE STARTERS
No. 12 Jenna Green (G/5-7/Fr./Clifton, Va.)
No. 13 Marlena Tremba (G/5-9/So./Vienna)
No. 15 Jazmen Boone(F/5-8/Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.)
No. 11 Alex Masaquel (F/5-10/So./Honolulu, Hawaii)
No. 24 Abby Rendle (C/6-4/Fr./Reston, Va.)