WHO: Old Dominion (13-8, 6-4) vs. UTSA (11-12, 6-5)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb 12 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Ted Constant Convocation Center
MEDIA: STAR 1310 AM (Hampton Roads)/Monarch Media (Live Video/Audio Stream)/Live Pregame Show Begins at 6:30 p.m.
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. 40 Destinee Young (F/So./6-1/Hoffman Estates, Ill.)
UTSA’s PROBABLE STARTERS
No. 5 Alana Heard (G/So./5-6/Missouri City, Texas)
No. 10 Kamra King (G/Sr./5-6/Norman, Okla.)
No. 21 Akunna Elonu (F/Jr./Houston, Texas)
No. 24 Ashley Spaletta (G/Jr./5-9/Magnolia, Ark.)
No. 33 Mannasha Bell (F/Jr./5-11/Fort Smith, Ark.)
Norfolk, Va. – The Old Dominion University women’s basketball team (13-8, 6-4) will welcome UTSA (11-12, 6-5) to the Ted on Thurs., Feb. 12, at 7:00 p.m. The Lady Monarchs currently sit in fourth place by themselves, as they have a half game lead on the tied for fifth place (with three other teams) Roadrunners. The top four teams from the regular season will receive a bye in the First Round of the 2015 Conference USA Tournament.
HOW TO TUNE IN
Thursday’s contest will be video/audio streamed through Monarch Media on ODUSports.com and will also air live on STAR 1310 AM 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. Their pregame show will begin live at 6:30 EST.
ALL-TIME SERIES
2-0 in favor of ODU
Thursday’s contest will be only the third meeting between the Roadrunners of UTSA and the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs. During the last encounter between these two teams, the Lady Monarchs nudged out the Roadrunners with a 79-74 win on March 13, 2014 in the C-USA Tournament.
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS
Old Dominion enters Thursday’s contest with a 13-8 overall record along with a 6-4 C-USA mark with an impressive 7-3 record away from the Ted. ODU currently is fourth in the conference for field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 38.3% shooting.
Jennie Simms ranks 51st in the country third in the conference in points per game, netting 18.1 a contest. Simms also leads the squad in rebounds, grabbing 6.9 boards a contest. Tiffany Minor is fifth in the conference in three-point field goals per game averaging 1.90. Destinee Young is fifth on the Conference USA blocked shots per game ladder, averaging 1.24 an outing.
The Lady Monarchs are allowing 60.8 points per game, while opponents shoot 38.3% from the floor against ODU. Old Dominion averages 15.8 forced turnovers a contest.
Chelisa Painter is averaging 7.4 ppg to go along with 4.9 boards a contest. Tiffany Minor averages 7.4 points to compliment 4.9 rebounds per game.
Ashley-Betz White currently leads the squad in assists (57) and steals (34), while averaging 6.7 points a ballgame. Destinee Young is Old Dominion’s second leading rebounder averaging 6.8 per contest, with 56 of her 142 total boards coming on the offensive end. Young is the Lady Monarchs leading shot blocker with 26 rejections so far this season.
ABOUT UTSA
UTSA enters Thursday night’s contest with an 11-12 overall record and a 6-5 C-USA mark. The Roadrunners have posted an 8-4 record while playing at home, but are just 3-6 away from their hardwood. Kamra King, Mannasha Bell and Akunna Elonu have started every contest so far this season. King leads the squad in scoring (11.9 ppg), while Bell leads the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg).
UTSA averages 60.6 points per contest, while giving up just 59 points per game. Although the Roadrunners force 18.4 turnovers a game, they also give the ball up 17.7 times per contest.
UTSA enters Thursday night’s contest on a two game winning streak after taking down FIU (74-56) and FAU (68-45) last weekend.
Head coach Lubomyr Lichonczak enters his second season at the helm of the UTSA women’s basketball program after becoming only the eighth head coach in program history on August 28, 2013.
The Roadrunners made an appearance in the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championship and upset 10th-seeded Tulsa in the first round before being knocked out by the Lady Monarchs.
DON’T FORGET!
The Lady Monarchs remain at home for the HOOPS FOR A CURE ballgame on Sat., Feb. 14, against UTEP (2:00 p.m.).
Be sure to follow ODU Women’s Basketball at @ODUWBB on Twitter and ‘Like’ the ODU Lady Monarch Basketball page by clicking HERE to stay up to date with the latest news and coverage.