Old Dominion (14-3, 4-1 C-USA) vs. Charlotte (8-6, 4-0 C-USA)
Game Info – Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – Money Talk 1310 AM, 100.9 FM and 97.3 HD2
Live Stats – Click Here
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Game Notes – ODU | Charlotte
NORFOLK, Va. – The two preseason favorites to win Conference USA square off on Wednesday as the Old Dominion women's basketball team hosts Charlotte for a 6:30 p.m. tip. The pivotal game is streaming live on ESPN+ with radio coverage on Money Talk 1310 AM, 100.9 FM and 97.3 HD2.
The Starting Five
The Monarchs improved to 12-1 in their last 13 games with a 67-57 win over North Texas on Saturday. ODU trailed for just 25 seconds in the contest and owned a 50-29 edge in the rebounding battle. Amari Young and Iggy Allen paced the Monarchs with 13 points apiece and Brianna Jackson matched a career high with 12 boards. Defensively, ODU held C-USA Co-Preseason Player of the Year Quincy Noble to a season-low six points on 2-of-12 shooting.
ODU is 7-1 inside Chartway Arena this season and have won its last five games at home. The Monarchs are 13-7 (.650) at home under head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones.
The Monarchs are one of the tightest defensive units in the country this year. ODU entered Tuesday ranked seventh nationally and first in C-USA in scoring defense (51.2). The Monarchs are 35th in field goal percentage defense (.358) and 14th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.250). ODU is turning teams over 22.47 times per game (12th in DI) while averaging the 21st-most steals per game (11.5) in the country.
Last Thursday, Milton-Jones was announced as a finalist for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Milton-Jones boasts an accolade-filled career in the game. She received the Wade Trophy in 1997 as the best player in college basketball and won two Olympic gold medals and two WNBA titles.
On Feb. 19, 2021 the Monarchs sat at 6-9 overall and 3-8 in Conference USA before ending the season with seven wins in their last nine games. The Monarchs are a combined 21-5 (.808) since that Feb. 19 loss to UAB. Those are the most wins by a C-USA team over that span, and no team in C-USA can match ODU's win percentage since Feb. 19.
Scouting Charlotte
The 49ers enter Wednesday with an 8-6 record and are one of two unbeaten teams in C-USA play, sitting at 4-0. Last week, Charlotte topped North Texas 72-67 before outlasting Rice 88-83 in a four-overtime marathon game.
C-USA Co-Preseason Player of the Year Octavia Jett-Wilson averaged 31.5 points per game in those two games, earning player of the week honors from the conference. She totaled 36 in the win over Rice, including a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to extend the game.
Jett-Wilson is third in C-USA with 19.7 points per game. She's also top-10 in the conference in 3-pointers per game (1.97, sixth), free throws made (69, fourth) and free throw percentage (.758, ninth).
KeKe McKinney averages 7.0 rebounds per game to lead Charlotte, and Jada McMillian leads C-USA with 4.9 assists per game.
The Series
Old Dominion and Charlotte are meeting for the 20th time on Wednesday in a series that has developed a rivalry flavor. ODU holds a 16-13 all-time mark over the 49ers.
The two sides met three times last season. Each of those three games went into overtime, including a pair of double-OT contests. In total, ODU and Charlotte played five overtime periods last season.
The 49ers won both regular season games, but the Monarchs got the last laugh with a 90-82 double-overtime victory in the Conference USA Tournament Quarterfinals. Young set a career high with 31 points and notched a double-double with 10 boards. Ajah Wayne chipped in 23 as well.
Going Big
The Monarchs have opted for a more-traditional two-forward lineup in their last three games to great success. ODU has dominated the boards since Brianna Jackson assumed a starting role in the Jan. 17 game against Florida Atlantic. The Monarchs are averaging 43.3 rebounds and a plus-11 margin on the glass in those games. More significantly, Old Dominion is averaging 21.7 offensive rebounds over the last three games, six more than its season average, and has netted 48 second-chance points (16.0 per game).
The inclusion of Jackson in the lineup has been a boon for Young as well. Young has scored in double figures in her last three games, averaging 11.3 per game on .556 shooting.
What's Next
The Monarchs make the return trip to Charlotte on Saturday for a game that tips at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Women’s Basketball Hosts Charlotte Wednesday in Crucial C-USA Clash
