From the Lady Monarchs' run to the Conference USA Championship game to the third consecutive Education Day sellout to an ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Play, 2016 was a memorable year for the Old Dominion women's basketball program.
Below are the top 10 moments of 2016 for Lady Monarch Basketball.
10. Simms moves into top 10 on ODU all-time scoring list [Video]
The Lady Monarchs concluded 2016 with a 59-47 victory at Rice in the 2016-17 Conference USA opener on Dec. 30. In the victory, Simms netted a game-high 26 points to pass both Mery Andrade and Tia Lewis and move into 10th on the Old Dominion all-time scoring list with 1,646 points.
9. Lady Monarchs lead Susan G. Komen Race in Virginia Beach [Video]
The Old Dominion women's basketball team once again led the Survivor's Walk at the Susan G. Komen Tidewater Race for the Cure on Oct. 15 in Virginia Beach. The Lady Monarchs have been annual participants in the event, helping raise awareness in the Hampton Roads area about breast cancer.
8. Barefoot, ODU ink No. 1 signing class in C-USA [Video]
For the second consecutive year, head coach Karen Barefoot and her coaching staff signed the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA. The four-player class, featuring twins Janae and Janeen Camp, Dejah Carter and Dazia Powell, is also ranked No. 38 nationally and No. 1 in the state of Virginia.
7. Young racks up the double-doubles [Video]
Destinee Young has recorded nine double-doubles in the first 12 games of the 2016-17 season. Young, who is averaging 11.3 points and a C-USA-leading 11.0 rebounds, ranks in the top five in the country in total double-doubles this season and is one of just 10 players in the country averaging 11 & 11.
6. Simms nets 1,000th point at ODU [Video]
Jennie Simms made history in the third quarter of the 84-49 victory over FIU on Jan. 30, becoming just the sixth Old Dominion women’s basketball player to score 1,000 points in just two seasons, joining Anne Donovan, Shae Kelley, Nancy Lieberman, Clarisse Machanguana and Inge Nissen.
5. Simms highlights Hoops For The Cure game [Video]
In front of 3,146 fans in pink for the 14th annual Hoops for the Cure game, Jennie Simms scored a Ted Constant Center record 35 points to lead Old Dominion over Charlotte, 94-85, on Feb. 6. The 94 points was the most for ODU as a team during 2016.
4. Education Day breaks Ted Constant Center attendance record [Video]
Not only was the sixth annual Education Day game on Nov. 30 the third consecutive Education Day sellout, the game also broke the Ted Constant Center attendance record with a crowd of 8,563. Jennie Simms led Old Dominion with 35 points, tying the Ted Constant Center record that she set in 2015-16.
3. Coach Barefoot's 300th career victory [Video]
The Lady Monarchs used a fourth-quarter rally to earn a 70-60 comeback victory over former CAA rival VCU on Dec. 9. Jennie Simms and Gianna Smith combined for 41 points to lead ODU and help Karen Barefoot earn her 300th victory of her head coaching career.
2. Timmons' game-winning buzzer-beater at Middle Tennessee [Video]
With the score tied 58-58 and under 10 seconds remaining, MaKayla Timmons nailed a buzzer-beating three from 40 feet out to give Old Dominion a thrilling 61-58 victory at Middle Tennessee on Jan. 16. The shot was No. 7 on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the day.
1. Upset of No. 1 seed UTEP in C-USA semis [Video]
Jennie Simms' double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds led No. 5 seed Old Dominion over No. 1 seed [RV/RV] UTEP, 66-54, on Mar. 11. The victory sent the Lady Monarchs to their first-ever apperance in the Conference USA Championship game.