NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion women's basketball team is back on the court this Friday as the Monarchs host Christopher Newport University for a 6:30 p.m. exhibition game at Chartway Arena.
The game will not be televised, however live stats will be available.
The last time the two programs met on the hardwood was for a Nov. 1, 2021 exhibition that went to the Monarchs, 87-70. Four players scored in double figures for ODU: Amari Young led the way with 11 points and four steals, while Brianna Jackson, Kaye Clark and Kaylen Nelson followed with 10 points each. ODU shot 50 percent from the floor, outscored the Captains 47-26 in the paint, and turned 31 CNU turnovers into 41 points.
ODU was picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt's Preseason Coaches' Poll and is coming off a 2022-23 season that saw the team reach the conference tournament semifinals. The Monarchs finished 22-12 overall, including 12-6 in league play, and return five letterwinners in Joy Campbell, Jordan McLaughlin, Clark, Mikayla Brown and Brenda Fontana.
Clark and McLaughlin are the two returning starters for the team. A graduate student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Clark started all 34 games last season and led the Sun Belt with 85 steals and 2.50 steals per game. She also finished tied for third on the team in scoring alongside McLaughlin with 8.6 points per game, with the pair combining for 214 assists. McLaughlin, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, finished the season ranked seventh in the Sun Belt with a 1.31 assist-to-turnover ratio and was 11th in the conference with 3.3 assists per game.
The Monarchs don't have any freshmen on this year's squad, instead reloading with 10 newcomers that come to Norfolk from both the JUCO level and other NCAA Division I programs. That new group includes guards La'Dajah Huguley, Halima Salat, Mimi McCollister and En'Dya Buford; guard/forwards Simone Cunningham and Ivi Nikolova; forwards De'Shawnti Thomas, Nnenna Orji and Lanetta Williams; and forward/center Jenny Nkem Womsi.
CNU is coming off a historic season that saw the top-ranked Captains reach the NCAA Division III National Championship final for the first time in program history, where they fell 57-52 to No. 2 Transylvania. The team finished 31-1 overall as the Captains posted a perfect 11-0 mark at the Freeman Center and a 14-0 record on the road. It marked the seventh straight season the Captains have reached the NCAA Tournament.
The Captains will be without All-Americans Sondra Fan and Anaya Simmons, but did bring back 11 letterwinners with four players that started at least 14 games in 2022-23. Key returners for CNU include guards Gabbi San Diego (8.2 ppg) and Camille Malagar (6.4 ppg), forward Hannah Kaloi (7.9 ppg), and forward/guard Katy Rader (7.2 ppg).
ODU will open its season at home against Lincoln (Pa.) on Monday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m., while CNU will start its 2023-24 campaign at Averett on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m.
Season Tickets Available Now
Men's and women's basketball season tickets for the upcoming 2023-24 season are available now at odusports.com/tickets.
Women's basketball season tickets cost $115 for adults and $500 for courtside seating and include tickets to all 15 of the Monarchs' home games. Men's basketball season tickets start at $215 and include tickets for the Monarchs' exhibition on Oct. 25 and all 15 of ODU's regular season home games. Call the ODU Ticket Office at 757-683-4444 to receive special pricing.
Season tickets represent a savings of more than $45 for women's games and $50 for men's games over single-game tickets. Single-game tickets for regular season men's and women's basketball games will go on sale later in the month. Single-game ticket prices start at $15 for men's games and $11 for women's games, with special pricing for senior citizens, ODU faculty and staff, youth (12 and younger) and members of the military. ODU students can register for student tickets for free to any ODU men's and women's home game.
Women's Basketball Hosts CNU for Exhibition Game Friday Night
