Old Dominion (1-1) vs. Morgan State (2-1)
Game Info – Monday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – Fox Sports Radio 1310
Live Stats – Click Here
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NORFOLK, Va. – After securing its first win of the season on Saturday at SMU, Old Dominion women's basketball returns to Norfolk for its home opener against Morgan State, scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start on Monday.
Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry will cover the game on Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1 and fans can also watch Chip Tarkenton and Kim Aston on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available.
The Series
The two teams are meeting for the first time on Monday.
About ODU
The Monarchs (1-1) trailed the Mustangs 40-39 at halftime, but ODU’s defense and transition play helped the team pull away in the second half. En’Dya Buford finished with 19 points and flirted with a triple double as she added nine rebounds and seven assists. Mikayla Brown recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Simaru Fields also netted 13 points thanks to three triples. ODU was effective at the free-throw line, converting of 15-of-22 shots, and the Monarch bench also provided 45 points.
The win marked ODU’s first over an ACC opponent since a 69-62 victory over Virginia in the opening round of the WNIT on March 19, 2015. It was also ODU’s first win against a Power 4 program since the Monarchs defeated Texas Tech, 59-45 on Nov. 27, 2021 in the Van Chancellor Classic.
Buford is averaging 14.5 points per game, Mariah Clayton is next with 11.0 ppg, and Fields is also scoring in double figures at 10.0 ppg to pace ODU’s offense. Buford owns a team-high 15 rebounds (7.5 rpg) and leads the Sun Belt with 11 assists, 10 free throws made and 13 free throw attempts. She’s also third in the league with 5.5 assists per outing. The Monarchs average 62.5 points and are shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from long range through their first two games. ODU’s 71.1 percent shooting at the charity stripe ranks fourth in the Sun Belt and the Monarchs are also fourth in bench points per game (31.5), offensive rebounds per game (18.5), defensive rebounds per game (27.5), and rebounds per game (46.0).
About Morgan State
The Lady Bears (2-1) started off their season with a 70-60 win over NCAA Division II member Shepherd University on Nov. 4 and a 60-45 win against Division III member Johns Hopkins on Nov. 7. Morgan State then traveled to Richmond on Saturday and fell to the Spiders, 93-39.
Junior guard Ja’la Bannerman (17.3 ppg) comes into Monday’s game ranked fifth in the nation with 52 points, seventh in three pointers made with nine, 14th in field goals made at 17, and 26th in steals with eight. Senior forward Laila Fair (7.3 ppg) leads MSU on the glass and is 15th in the country with 24 rebounds, and sophomore guard Tamaria Rumph (7.0 ppg) owns a team-high 10 assists. The Lady Bears lead the MEAC in three-pointers per game (9.0), three-point attempts per game (25.3), and offensive rebounds per game (15.7).
MSU was picked to finish fifth in the MEAC’s preseason poll, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors. Fair represented the Lady Bears on the Preseason Third Team after making 12 starts in 15 appearances last season. She led the team in rebounding with 7.1 boards per contest and was second on the team in scoring with 8.5 ppg. Fair also added 22 blocks, 18 steals, and 10 assists to her 2023-24 totals. Head Coach Ed Davis Jr. is in his ninth season leading the program and has amassed a 109-117 (.482) record during his time in Baltimore.
Up Next
ODU continues its four-game homestand this Friday when the Monarchs host Bowie State at 4 p.m.
Season Tickets Available Now
Men's and women's basketball season tickets for the upcoming 2024-25 season are available now at odusports.com/basketball-season-tickets.
Men's basketball season tickets cost $217 covering all 16 of ODU’s regular season home contests. Women's basketball season tickets cost $115 for adults and include tickets to all 16 of the Monarchs' home games. Discounted season ticket rates are available for ODU faculty and staff, ODU letterwinners, young alumni, band and spirit parents and military. Fans also have the option for mini-plans which consist of six men’s games for $84 and six women’s games for $42. Single-game tickets will go on sale starting on October 16. Call the ODU Ticket Office at 757-683-4444 for more information.