ODU Women's Basketball Rolls Past Bowie State, 77-50, to Claim Third Win in a Row
By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s basketball team shook off a cold start and rolled past Bowie State, 77-50, Friday afternoon to claim its third victory in a row.
The Monarchs (3-1), playing the first game of a doubleheader with the men’s basketball team, trailed by five early on to the Division II Bulldogs, but picked up their defensive intensity and fast break and won going away.
Monarch Head Coach DeLisha Milton-Jones was more pleased with this victory than ODU’s last, a 60-48 triumph over Morgan State. Milton-Jones was critical of her team’s effort, its rebounding and at times, its inability share the ball against Morgan State.
“Tonight’s win is one I’m happy about,” she said. “I know there are some people who are probably critical of where we’re at. But I want everyone to be conscious of the fact that we have 10 new players, and six of them are guards.
“We’re winning the battle in small ways in terms of our improvement and I’m loving where we’re at.”
ODU had four players in double figures, led by En’Dya Buford (12), Mariah Clayton (11) and Simone Cunningham and Mikayla Brown (10 apiece).
Brown, the 6-foot-1 center from Dallas, Texas, may be ODU’s most improved player. She was a dominating presence in the paint. She had five rebounds and altered many Bowie State shots in less than 18 minutes of playing time.
“Mikayla does so much that does not show up on the stat sheet,” Milton-Jones said. “She works so hard and she has a tremendous impact on our entire program, and not just on the court.
“She’s someone I can trust, someone if I’m not here, she’s going to hold court and uphold the standards and make sure everyone is accountable.”
Brown said the Monarchs are improving, slowly but surely.
“We moved the ball around a lot more today,” she said. “I think we stayed together as a team a lot more than last game.
“You could just see everyone was happy. The more we stay together like this, the better we’re going to be.”
ODU outrebounded the shorter Bulldogs, 52-30, and shot well, making 29-of-71 shots (41 percent).
ODU hit the floor bereft of energy and Bowie State led, 14-9, halfway through the first quarter on a Destiny Ryles jump shot. But the Monarchs took the lead for good by closing out the second quarter with a 15-6 run that gave ODU a 24-20 halftime lead.
The Monarchs build the lead to 14 late in the second quarter on back-to-back field goals from Kelsey Thompson and Simaru Fields.
Bowie State trimmed the lead to eight, two minutes into the second half on a layup from Beulah Odiong, but the Monarchs blew the game open with an 18-7 run, in which Fields scored six points. She finished with nine points.
After a 13-0 ODU run early in the fourth quarter, Milton-Jones cleared her bench.
The Monarchs face a challenging schedule the rest of the month.
They host VCU on Thursday, Nov. 21 and William & Mary on Tuesday, Nov. 26, before heading to Daytona Beach, Florida for a Thanksgiving Day game against No. 12 Ohio State and then a game against Oakland on Nov. 30 in Daytona Beach.