HAMPTON, Va. -- The Old Dominion women's basketball team was unable to withstand a late Hampton rally and fell to the Lady Pirates, 50-42, on Monday evening at the HU Convocation Center.
Old Dominion (2-16), playing for the third time in five days, led for the entirety of the first three quarters, but Hampton (6-9) utilized a pressing defense and hot shooting to fuel the late run and pull out the come-from-behind victory.
"I'm really disappointed in our inability to take care of the ball in the fourth quarter," said head coach Nikki McCray-Penson. "You can't really simulate their press defense in practice, but we worked on it enough. Turning the ball over has been our Achilles' heel on the road."
The Monarchs led 40-25 with just over nine minutes remaining, but Hampton forced ODU into 11 fourth-quarter turnovers and ended the game on a 25-2 run.
Taylor Edwards led ODU with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals. Victoria Morris and Ashley Jackson both added nine points.
"We had three pretty solid quarters in which we had the game under control," said McCray. "We just never got the stops and we gave up timely offensive rebounds and we turned the ball over. That cost us."
Through the first three quarters, ODU's defense was the storyline. The Monarchs held the Lady Pirates to just three points on eight percent shooting in the opening quarter. Then, leading 23-20 at the half, ODU built a 38-25 lead at the end of the third quarter, outscoring Hampton, 15-5, in the third. Prior to the fourth quarter, ODU had held Hampton to just 23 percent shooting.
However, Hampton then shot 50 percent in the fourth en route to the late rally.
The win was Hampton's first-ever over ODU.
Up next, the Monarchs return home to host Marshall on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Conference USA action. Tickets available at YNotTix.com.
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