Cold-shooting ODU Women's Basketball Team Falls to Texas State, 52-46

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – Not even Old Dominion's considerable home-court advantage at Chartway Arena could bail the women's basketball team out on a night when they shot poorly and appeared to be out of sync. 
 
Texas State shook off a slow start and rallied to defeat ODU, 52-46, Thursday night to hand the Monarchs their first home loss in 10 outings. ODU's 46 points were the fewest the Monarchs have scored in 22 games this season.

ODU made just 20 of 67 shots (29.9 percent), including a 4-for-21 effort in the third quarter, when Texas State rallied to take the lead. 
 
ODU (13-9 overall, 5-4 Sun Belt Conference) held Texas State (14-6, 6-3) to four points in the first quarter and jumped out to an early double-digit lead. But for whatever reason, the Monarchs did not play the kind of tenacious defense nor crisp offense they have displayed much of the season.
 
The veteran Bobcats, who have six graduate students and a redshirt senior, played with poise down the stretch, outscoring the Monarchs, 23-14, in the fourth quarter.
 
"There were opportunities where we were just lazy in our effort," ODU head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones said. "It was the small things where you could tell we really weren't focused and didn't have a sense of urgency behind everything that we were doing.
 
"And it cost us." 
 
Amari Young, who with 12 points and 10 rebounds had her sixth double-double of the season, gave ODU a 31-24 lead on a short jump shot with 2:10 left in the third quarter. But then the Monarchs went cold, and the Bobcats got hot.
 
Ja'Kayla Bowie gave Texas State its first lead since early in the first quarter, 35-34, on a fast-break layup with 8:48 left in the game.
 
Four minutes later, Lauryn Thompson made two free throws to build the lead to 43-36.
 
ODU rallied as Makayla Dickens made a three-pointer, Young a short jump shot and Jatyjia Jones a fast-break three-point shot to trim the lead to 45-44 with 3:10 left.
 
Young then made a double-pump layup with 1:21 left to tie the game at 46-all.
 
But the Monarchs went stone cold the rest of the way, missing their last six shots.
 
Da'Nasia Hood, a two-time All-Sun Belt pick from San Antonio who led the Bobcats with 18 points, rebounded a missed shot and put it back in to give Texas State a 48-46 lead with 55 seconds left.
 
After Dickens missed a three-point shot, Hood then made two more free throws with 28 seconds left to make it a four-point game. 
 
ODU tried to rally, but missed four shots in the final 16 seconds.
 
Early-on, it was Texas State that could not throw the ball in the ocean.
 
The Bobcats made just three of their first 19 shots (15.7 percent), including half a dozen which did not touch the rim. During one stretch, the Bobcats went nearly eight minutes without scoring.
 
ODU didn't shoot well either, but led, 18-6, three minutes into the second quarter. Then the Bobcats got hot and over the next three minutes, making five consecutive shots. 
 
Ja'Kayla Bowie got things started with a driving layup, a free throw and a three-point shot to halve the lead at 18-12.
 
ODU's Kaye Clark responded with a three-pointer, but then Taelour Pruitt made a short jump shot and Hood a three-pointer, and the Bobcats trailed by two, 21-19, with 1:15 to go.
 
Brianna Jackson's layup with 35 seconds left gave ODU a 23-19 halftime lead that it could not hold onto in the second half.
 
Young said that even when ODU held the 18-6 lead, things seemed out of sorts.
 
"It just felt like we never really came together," she said. "The offense really wasn't committed. We had a real bad offensive night.

"The defense was just good enough. But the whole game was discombobulated."
 
Milton-Jones said it was a tough loss, but said it was just one game and hopes her team rebounds Saturday, when the Monarchs host Coastal Carolina at 2 p.m.
 
"All is not lost," she said. "You know, you set out to win every game. And we were able to do that for nine games.
 
"Now, we have another game in front of us . . . and it's a game that we have our sights set on winning."
 
ODU will celebrate International Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday when the Monarchs host the Chanticleers.
 
ODU's volleyball, lacrosse, field hockey and women's soccer teams will be in the Chartway Arena concourse after the game. Student-athletes will pass out team posters and have an autograph session.