ELON, N.C. – Old Dominion women's basketball could not hold on to a 10-point lead as the Monarchs dropped a close game 71-68 at Elon University on Tuesday afternoon at Schar Center.
"We definitely gave a game away today and I'm just so disappointed in how we are not displaying the veteranship that we have," said head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones. "We're not doing a great job of listening and executing and applying the things that the scouting report says will allow us to be successful."
Jordan McLaughlin paced ODU with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. The Charlotte, North Carolina native made her lone three-point attempt, went 2-for-4 at the free-throw line and added four assists to her totals. Also scoring in double figures was Amari Young, who went 4-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-4 at the line for 11 points. She also led the Monarchs (2-3) on the glass with nine rebounds and finished with one assist, one block and two steals. Kaye Clark and Althea Kara Angeles contributed nine points each and Jada Duckett chipped in seven.
The Monarchs finished the game 28-for-66 (.424) from the field, 4-for-16 (.250) from beyond the arc and 8-for-15 (.522) at the charity stripe. ODU bested the Phoenix (3-2) in points off turnovers (16-14), points in the paint (42-34), second-chance points (18-9), fast-break points (6-5) and points off the bench (23-12).
In the third quarter, a 12-0 run allowed the Phoenix to retake the lead at 51-47. Elon stayed ahead for the rest of the quarter, and a pair of Young free throws got ODU to within 56-54 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
A Raven Preston three-pointer gave Elon a 63-56 lead at the 7:51 mark. Angeles then converted a pair of shots before Clark stripped away the ball and made her attempt on the fast break. Neither side scored again until a Brenda Fontana layup with 4:37 remaining put ODU back in front, 64-63. Clark then scored again 17 seconds later. Elon tied the game at 66-66, but McLaughlin answered with a pull up jumper. The Phoenix again had a response as Chloe Williams knotted the score at 68-68.
After ODU called timeout to advance the ball, Makayla Dickens missed a jumper with 42 seconds on the clock. Elon's Leneaejha Evans hit 1-of-2 free throws to put the Phoenix ahead 69-68, and ODU took another timeout to advance the ball. With 17 seconds, a pair of Brianna Jackson layups were off target and ODU was forced to foul and send Evonna McGill to the line. She made both shots, Dickens missed a look at a three-pointer, and Elon dribbled out the final seconds of the game.
"We came in here and outrebounded them very well in the first half," continued Milton-Jones. "We had 10 offensive rebounds and we were converting those points. But the second half was a completely different ball game. Elon came out and they just took control from the very beginning and that 10-point lead diminished in a blink of an eye. We had 16 more possessions than them, but we're not doing anything with it. How are people able to do more with less when we can't do more with more?"
Elon went up 3-0 to start the game before a Jackson layup got ODU on the board. Following another Elon score that made it 5-2, Jackson got another layup to fall. That opened up a 6-0 run as McLaughlin and Clark followed with a basket each. The Phoenix went back up 11-8 when McLaughlin earned a trip to the line and made both of her free throws. Towards the end of the first quarter, Mikayla Brown and Fontana scored back-to-back layups to put ODU back on top, 14-13. However, Elon's Kamryn Doty threw up a last-second shot that found its mark as the hosts led 16-14.
An early three-pointer and a pair of free throws helped Elon build a 23-18 advantage early in the second quarter. That's when ODU's offense got going as Young scored a bucket in the paint. McLaughlin continued the stretch with a layup, a jumper and a three ball, and Duckett made a shot to cap off the 11-0 run. With 23 seconds left in the first half, another layup from Duckett gave the Monarchs their biggest lead of the game at 41-29. Elon was able to beat the buzzer again and ODU went into the break in control, 41-31.
ODU will be back at Charter Arena this Sunday, Nov. 27 when the Monarchs host Coppin State for a 2 p.m. game.
Game Notes
- It was the first meeting between the two programs.
- The game reunited Milton-Jones with her former Washington Mystics teammate in Elon head coach Charlotte Smith. The two played together in 2005.
- ODU scored 27 points in the second quarter, marking a new season high. The previous best was 23 points to open the team's game at Texas Southern on Nov. 10.
- The Monarchs were held scoreless for 4:34 in the third quarter.
- McLaughlin has now scored in double digits in four of five games this season. This was Young's second game with double-digit points.
Women’s Basketball Falls 71-68 at Elon Tuesday
