Old Dominion (5-2) at William & Mary (4-3)
Game Info – Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.
Location – Kaplan Arena (Williamsburg, Va.)
Watch – FloHoops ($)
Listen – ESPN Radio 94.1 FM
Live Stats – Click Here
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Game Notes – ODU
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women's basketball team looks for its fourth win in a row when it travels to William & Mary for a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday. The game is streaming live on FloHoops and is being carried live over the air on ESPN Radio 94.1 FM.
The Starting Five
The Monarchs had a noteworthy Thanksgiving weekend, going 3-0 at the Van Chancellor Classic and reaching several milestones. ODU's 67-50 win over Saint Joseph's was the 1,100th in program history. In that game, Ajah Wayne scored her 1,000th career point as well. The 61-51 win over Stetson was DeLisha Milton-Jones' 50th as a head coach.
ODU experienced an offensive rejuvenation in Texas, averaging 62.3 points per game on .419 shooting, including a .432 mark from 3-point range. The Monarchs averaged 15.3 assists per game over those three games, assisting on 63.9 percent of their made field goals, and boasted a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
No other Division I program has been as successful against the Commonwealth as Old Dominion. The Monarchs are 382-108 (.780) all-time against opponents from inside the state. Milton-Jones is 2-1 against the Commonwealth as the head coach of ODU.
ODU and William & Mary are contesting the 67th edition of this local series. The former CAA rivals have played at least once every season since 1991-92. Only VCU (79) and JMU (77) have played ODU more often than the Tribe.
The Monarchs have sustained the momentum of last season's late turnaround. ODU sat at 6-9 following a 74-61 loss to UAB last season but closed out the year with seven wins in its last nine games. Since that Feb. 19 loss to the Blazers, Old Dominion boasts a 12-4 (.750) overall record.
Scouting William & Mary
W&M is coming off a 60-44 loss at Virginia on Thursday. The Tribe shot just 26.4 percent from the field against the Cavaliers and were 5-of-21 from deep. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tribe. During that stretch, W&M posted wins over George Mason (65-54), Maryland Eastern Shore (65-58) and Hampton (58-41).
William & Mary looks to defend hard, lock down the 3-point line and move the ball on offense. W&M currently ranks 46th in the nation in scoring defense (54.7), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (20.0) and 94th in steals (66). On the other side of the ball, the Tribe average 15.9 assists per game, good for 57th in Division I.
Sydney Wagner averages 10.9 points and 3.4 assists per game for W&M and is 31st in the country with 52 3-point attempts. She scored six points with three assists and was 0-for-6 from deep at Virginia.
Bre Bellamy is the Tribe's leading rebounder at 6.8 per game and also averages 10.5 points per contest on 60-percent shooting.
The Series
The Monarchs and Tribe are playing for the 67th time in a series that dates back to the 1969-70 season. Only VCU (79) and James Madison (77) have played the Monarchs more frequently than William & Mary.
The two sides were CAA rivals for 22 seasons. ODU held a 42-2 record over the Tribe in conference play and won 40-straight CAA games between the 1991-92 and 2010-11 seasons. Additionally, ODU and W&M met eight times in the CAA Tournament with the Monarchs prevailing all eight times, including in the 1993 title game (65-51).
Old Dominion hosted William & Mary in its home opener last season. The Monarchs shot nearly 50 percent from the field and held the Tribe to 26.6-percent shooting in a 70-47 win, Milton-Jones' first at the helm of ODU. Wayne posted a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double, doing so on just six shot attempts (5-of-6).
What's Next
The Monarchs host their final two home nonconference games. ODU entertains Bowie State at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 8 before renewing its rivalry with Norfolk State on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. After that, Old Dominion wraps up nonconference play with road games at Appalachian State (Dec. 18) and Temple (Dec. 22).
Surging Women’s Basketball Takes to William & Mary on Sunday
