Old Dominion (12-5, 4-3 Sun Belt) vs. App State (10-8, 4-3 Sun Belt) | vs. Georgia State (10-7, 4-3 Sun Belt)
Game Info – Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+ (Game 1 | Game 2)
Listen – Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1
Live Stats – Game 1 | Game 2
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. – After a four-game road swing, Old Dominion women's basketball returns to Chartway Arena this week as the Monarchs host App State at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Georgia State at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Fans unable to attend can watch both games on ESPN+, with Chip Tarkenton and Kim Aston calling the action. Additionally, Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry can be heard on Priority Auto Sports Radio 91.1 FM. Live stats will also be available.
The Series
Thursday will mark the fifth meeting between ODU and App State, a series that has the Monarchs leading 3-1. The two programs split their two games against each other last season with both sides winning on their respective courts. ODU opened up conference play in Boone, North Carolina, falling 81-55 to the Mountaineers on Dec. 29, 2022. ODU then defeated App State 71-65 on Feb. 16, 2023 in Norfolk on what marked Senior Night for the Monarchs.
Saturday will be the 20th time ODU and Georgia State will square off on the hardwood. The Monarchs have dominated the series 18-1 and are looking for their 12th straight win over the Panthers. Last season, ODU edged GSU 73-70 in Atlanta on Jan. 21 and won 60-54 in Norfolk on Feb. 11. The two teams then met in the second round of the Sun Belt Championship on March 1 in Pensacola, Fla. Jatyjia Jones turned in a season-high 16 points, McLaughlin scored 13 points, Makayla Dickens contributed 11 points and Amari Young recorded an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
About ODU
The Monarchs (12-5, 4-3 Sun Belt) dropped both of their road games last week, falling 90-60 at Marshall last Thursday and 72-64 at James Madison on Saturday. En'Dya Buford led ODU with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 steals through the two games as she shot a combined 12-for-27 (.444) from the field, 4-for-13 (.308) from beyond the arc, and 4-for-4 (1.000) at the free-throw line. Brenda Fontana followed with 24 points while Simone Cunningham and Kaye Clark scored 17 points each.
As a team, ODU is shooting .358 from the floor, .279 from the perimeter, and .659 at the line. The Monarchs are averaging 61.4 points per game and lead the Sun Belt in scoring defense at 57.2 points allowed per game. The team is also 15th in the nation in steals per game (11.6) and 24th in turnovers forced per game (20.82). As of Jan. 23, ODU is listed 126th in the NET rankings and is receiving votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
Buford continues to lead the Monarchs in scoring with 11.1 ppg. Following her are Jordan McLaughlin at 9.6 ppg and Clark at 8.4 ppg. Cunningham (4.9 ppg) is the leader on the glass with 104 rebounds (6.1 rpg) and McLaughlin owns the team high in assists with 45. Defensively, Cunningham and Lanetta Williams (3.3 ppg) both have 13 blocks. Clark and Buford rank first and second in the conference in both steals and steals per game. Clark is currently fifth in the country in steals per game (3.41) and 10th in steals (58), while Buford is 26th in steals per game (2.71) and 31st in steals (46).
About App State
The Mountaineers (10-8, 4-3) are coming off a 2-0 week that saw them defeat Coastal Carolina (73-63) and Georgia Southern (82-74). App State had five players score in double figures against the Chanticleers, led by a 15-point, 10-assist double-double from Faith Alston. In the second game versus the Eagles, Alston netted 24 points to reach 1,000 for her career.
App State enters the week shooting .384 from the field, .291 from long range, and .667 at the charity stripe. The Mountaineers average 72.2 ppg with a +2.4 scoring margin. The free-throw line has been a key area of success for the team, which ranks 14th nationally in free throw attempts per game (22.89) and 30th in free throws made per game (15.28). The Mountaineers are also 26th in offensive rebounds per game (14.9). The latest NET rankings has the team listed at 170th.
The offense is paced by Alston (19.5 ppg) and Emily Carver (15.5 ppg), though Chaé Harris is close to averaging double digits at 9.7 ppg. Alston and Harris have both knocked down 27 threes this season, Carver is close behind them with 23 makes from beyond the arc, and Alexis Black (7.6 ppg) has hit 18. Alston's 82 assists and 40 steals are also team bests. Rylan Moffitt (6.3 ppg) is second in the Sun Belt in rebounds per game (8.7) and third in blocks (21).
App State was picked to finish 12th in the league's Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Carver represented the Mountaineers on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team. Head coach Angel Elderkin is in her 10th season with the program.
About Georgia State
The Panthers (10-7, 4-3) fell 82-75 at Southern Miss, but bounced back with a 73-47 win at South Alabama. A 26-point effort by Mikyla Tolivert wasn't enough to overcome the Lady Eagles. In the meeting with the Jaguars, Deasia Merrill turned in a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in what marked GSU's largest margin of victory in a Sun Belt game since the 2016-17 season (42 vs. ULM on Feb. 2).
Georgia State will start off its week at Georgia Southern on Wednesday night and is averaging 72.7 ppg with a +6.0 scoring margin. The Panthers are shooting .414 from the field, .325 from three-point range, and .704 at the line. The No. 175 team in the NET rankings, GSU is 33rd in the country in steals per game (10.8), 34th in bench points per game (25.9), and second in the Sun Belt in blocks per game (3.5).
Three players are averaging double figures: Tolivert is the top scorer at 15.1 ppg, Crystal Henderson is next at 11.5 ppg, and Mya Williams is third at 10.2 ppg. The trio has combined to make 77 of the team's 117 three-pointers, led by Williams with 30. Alyssa Phillip (3.9 ppg) is the top rebounder for the Panthers with 122 boards (7.2 rpg), and Merrill (8.9 ppg) is next with 96 rebounds (6.4 rpg). Henderson has dished out 71 assists and ranks third in the SBC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87) and Merrill has blocked 20 shots and is third in the conference in blocks per game (1.33).
GSU was picked to finish 13th in the Preseason Coaches' Poll with Tolivert named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team. Head Coach Gene Hill is in his sixth season leading the Panthers.
Up Next
ODU will head to San Marcos, Texas next Wednesday, Jan. 31 for a 12 p.m. EST game at Texas State. The Monarchs will then travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas to play Arkansas State on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. EST.
Monarchs Return to Chartway Arena for Home Games Against App State, Georgia State
