NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion (5-5, 2-4 C-USA) women's basketball team suffered a 67-59 setback to Rice (RV) on Saturday afternoon.
ODU saw its first lead of the contest in the fourth quarter when Amari Young picked up an offensive rebound and drained a layup at the 7:07 mark. For the next two minutes the Monarchs and Owls traded baskets but Rice (10-1, 5-0 C-USA) then used a momentous 10-3 run the remainder of the contest to take control and pull away to remain undefeated in league play.
Maggie Robinson poured in a career-high 19 points and added eight rebounds.
"Defensively we didn't put forth the right effort for 40 minutes, especially when you're playing a team like Rice who is picked to be the C-USA Preseason favorite," head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones explained. "We have to make sure that we come out and we play with a level of intensity that either matches what they bring or we supersede it."
ODU opened the contest trailing Rice by five points. Robinson led the field with seven points, draining 3-for-4 and adding one point from the charity stripe. ODU shot 57% from the field, going 8-for-14 while holding the Owls to just 46% from the field.
The Owls dominated the second quarter, outscoring ODU, 16-11, heading into the break with a 10-point advantage over the Monarchs.
ODU had its best performance in the third quarter, holding the Owls to just 11 points in that 10 minutes time frame. Senior Victoria Morris led all scorers with six points in the third quarter. Additionally, ODU forced five Rice turnovers and scored six points in the paint. A combination of a Morris jumper and four drained free throws helped ODU get within a one-score game.
The Monarchs went into the final quarter trailing Rice by just three points. Junior Ajah Wayne scored seven points, including a layup to open the fourth quarter, which built the Monarch momentum, and to get within one for the first time since early in the first quarter. Despite a gutsy effort, Rice pulled away to defeat ODU for the second consecutive time this season.
Up Next
ODU will hit the road to take on North Texas on Jan. 22 and 23. Both contests will stream on CUSA.TV and will air locally on Money Talk 1310 (Friday) and ESPN Radio 94.1 (Saturday).
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Women’s Hoops Comes Up Short Versus Rice, 67-59
