NORFOLK, Va. -- Fresh off capturing the program’s 1,000th victory, the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs will take on old CAA rival VCU on Saturday at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. at 7:30 p.m.
ABOUT ODU
ODU solidified its status as one of the finest basketball programs in NCAA history by claiming the program’s 1,000 win on Tuesday night after defeating the Howard Bison, 83-64, at Burr Gymnasium. ODU became the fourth program to reach 1,000 victories, joining Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and James Madison as the only programs to achieve this feat. In its 47-year history, ODU women’s basketball teams have amassed a 1000-394 (.717) record and have landed 25 NCAA Championship appearances, 22 conference crowns three national championships and has produced countless All-Americans and Olympians.
Three players scored in double-figures for the Lady Monarchs, as Annika Holopainen, Gianna Smith and Destinee Young each recorded 17 points. Young posted her second straight double-double, finishing with 11 rebounds to go along with her 17 points, four blocks and two steals. Carolina Bernardeco paced the offense with a game-high five assists, while also adding eight points.
Young has led the Lady Monarchs to two-straight wins after posting a double-double in each contest. She currently averages 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest. Keyana Brown adds 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and ranks second on the team with 10 steals.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will meet for the 73rd time, with ODU holding the 57-15 advantage over VCU in the series that began in 1969. The Lady Monarchs amassed a 19-game winning streak over the Rams from 1993 to 2003, but over the last 10 meetings its VCU that holds the 7-3 advantage over ODU.
Last season, Old Dominion defeated the Rams, 66-44, at the Ted Constant Center on December 5. Jennie Simms led all scorers with 21 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Tiffany Minor added 16 points and hauled down five rebounds, while Young corralled a game-high 11 rebounds to compliment four points on the evening. Chelisa Painter chipped in nine points and six rebounds in the winning effort.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
The Rams enter the contest with an 8-2 overall record after a 69-39 win over the Panthers at High Point on Wednesday. Juniors Isis Thorpe and Ashley Pegram led the charge offensively for the Rams, scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Rams shot 45.9 percent from the floor (28-61) and held the Panthers to just 27.5 percent (14-51) to secure the 30-point victory.
For the season, Camille Calhoun leads the team with 11.3 points per contest, while Thorpe chips in 10.5 points and 3.1 boards. Keira Robinson directs the offense and leads the team with 3.9 assists per outing. As a team, VCU is shooting 41.6 percent from the field (247-594) and holds a +14.8 scoring margin.
HOW TO TUNE IN
Wednesday’s contest will air live on ESPN 94.1 FM with Doug Ripley on play-by-play and will be streamed live through the A-10 Network. There is a $6.95 fee for a 24-hour pass. Live stats will also be available and can be found on vcuathletics.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow ODU Women’s Basketball on Twitter (@ODUWBB) and Instagram (@oduwbasketball) and ‘Like’ the ODU Lady Monarch Basketball on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and coverage.