Women’s Basketball Hosts LA Tech in Final Regular Season Home Game

Old Dominion (22-6, 12-4 C-USA) vs. LA Tech (17-10, 9-7 C-USA)
Game Info – Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Location – Chartway, Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – CUSA.tv
Listen – Money Talk 1310 AM 100.9 FM and 97.3 HD2
Live Stats – Click Here
Game Notes – ODU
 
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women's basketball team welcomes LA Tech to Chartway Arena for a 6:30 p.m. tip on Wednesday in the final home game of the regular season. The contest is streaming live on CUSA.tv and being broadcast over the air on Money Talk 1310 AM 100.9 FM and 97.3 HD2.
 
The Starting Five
On Feb. 14, head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones was announced as a member of 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. She is the seventh individual with ODU ties to reach the hall and is just the 13th active DI head coach in the WBHOF.
 
ODU used a hot start from the field to down FIU 81-69 on Saturday. The Monarchs shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half and led by 17, 46-29, at the break. Four players reached double figures against the Panthers, led by Iggy Allen's 23. Ajah Wayne (19 points) and Amari Young (12 points) each missed a double-double by a single point, and Mariah Adams chipped in 10 points as well.
 
The Monarchs are one of the tightest defensive units in the country this year. ODU entered Tuesday ranked 18th nationally and first in C-USA in scoring defense (54.8). The Monarchs are 51st in field goal percentage defense (.368) and 41st in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.274). ODU is turning teams over 20.43 times per game (17th in DI, 1st in C-USA) while averaging the 25th-most steals per game (10.5) in the country. Additionally, ODU is second in the conference and 50th in DI with 4.3 blocks per game.
 
Old Dominion enters Wednesday's game tied with Middle Tennessee for second place in the C-USA East Division, two games behind leader Charlotte. The Monarchs remain in contention for the divisional title and control their own destiny in the hunt for a top-two finish and a double-bye into the C-USA Quarterfinals.
 
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 29-8 (.784) 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, 2021.
 
Scouting LA Tech
The Lady Techsters are the West Division leaders at 17-10 overall and 9-7 in conference play. LA Tech is coming off wins against Rice and North Texas last weekend.
 
Anna Larr Roberson scored 44 points on 20-of-28 shooting in a 90-80 double-overtime win against Rice, and Keiunna Walker turned in the fourth triple-double in program history with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
 
Walker is LA Tech's leading scorer at 18.7 points per game and leads the conference in free throws attempted and made and is third in scoring.
 
Roberson averages 14.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. She ranks second in C-USA in rebounding and ninth in scoring.
 
As a team, the Lady Techsters shoot 42.1 percent from the field, the third-best mark in the conference.
 
The Series
Wednesday's game is a meeting of basketball royalty. The Monarchs and Lady Techsters have combined for 2,289 wins and six national titles. ODU and LA Tech have met 27 total times, including three matchups between the top-two teams in the Associated Press Poll.
 
The first game between these programs was one of those three occasions when top-ranked ODU defeated No. 2 LA Tech 75-65 to win the 1979 AIAW Championship. The Monarchs also bounced the Lady Techsters in the semifinals of the 1980 AIAW Tournament, 73-59, en route to their second consecutive national title. ODU is 2-2 all-time against LA Tech in the AIAW or NCAA Tournament.
 
The two sides last played in February of 2020, when ODU won 77-61 at home. The Monarchs shot better than 50 percent from the floor, made nine 3-pointers and received 21 points and 16 rebounds from Young and 20 points with six 3-pointers from Aziah Hudson.
 
What's Next
ODU heads to Middle Tennessee on Saturday to close out the regular season. Regardless of Wednesday's outcomes, the Monarchs can clinch a top-two finish in the East and a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament with a win over the Lady Raiders.