NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion (8-2) women's basketball team is back in the win column after dominating Richmond, 73-51 on Thursday evening in the first game of the Anne Donovan Classic. 10 different Monarchs scored, including a season-high 13 points from sophomore Aziah Hudson.
"I'm very thankful to Anne's family for allowing us to have the Anne Donovan Classic and to honor her in this way," said head coach Nikki McCray after the win. "Anne did so much for this university and the community. She paved the way for so many players like myself and meant a lot to women's basketball. I'm just very fortunate that she touched my life and helped me become a better person just knowing her."
ODU got off to a hot start in the first quarter, leading by 12 with 6:27 on the clock. The Spiders (6-5) nearly evened the game with a seven-point scoring run late in the first. In the second quarter, the Monarchs held Richmond to single-digit scoring, heading into the locker room ODU led by a 34-24 score.
ODU came out in the third period on a 6-0 run, running in to their biggest lead of the game of 23 points. The Monarchs closed out their dominant win with a solid 16-point fourth quarter. In that frame, Hudson notched half of the Monarchs points, recording one three-point field goal and five free throws.
"It's about our mojo, we face every defense. We just have to play our style of basketball. We can't get caught up in what they're doing. We have to make shots, defend and rebound."
Overall, ODU shot 51 percent, their best scoring since their win at Auburn on Nov. 14. Senior Taylor Edwards had a solid overall game, notching eight rebounds, five assists, five steals and seven points.
Up Next
ODU will face Hampton on the second day of the Anne Donovan Classic Friday, Dec. 20 at 5PM.
About Hampton
The Pirates are currently on a three-game losing streak. Their most recent loss was against Liberty by double digits. There is a familiar face in MaKayla Timmons, who was a member of the Old Dominion team for three years, and is a current graduate student at Hampton. She is currently second the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 ppg.
Hampton will play Mount St. Mary's in their first game of the Anne Donovan Classic on Thursday evening.
ODU Notes:
- Season-high 5 steals from Taylor Edwards
- Season-high 8 rebounds from Taylor Edwards
- Season-high 13 points from Aziah Hudson
- Freshman Jordan Bailey played a season-high 11 minutes