Old Dominion (0-0) at Ball State (0-0)
Game Info – Monday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Location – Worthen Arena (Muncie, Ind.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – Fox Sports Radio 1310
Live Stats – Click Here
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NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women's basketball starts its 2024-25 season this Monday when the Monarchs head to Muncie, Indiana to take on Ball State in the first round of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Tipoff at Worthen Arena is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Monday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available. Fans can also tune into Fox Sports Radio 1310 to hear Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry calling the action.
The Series
ODU and Ball State are meeting for the first time.
The Monarchs went 2-0 in last season’s MAC-Sun Belt Challenge, defeating Buffalo 59-48 on Nov. 11 inside Chartway Arena and winning 82-76 at Kent State on Feb. 10. Ball State also went 2-0 in last year’s Challenge. The Cardinals came away with an 86-71 win at Troy on Nov. 11 and earned a 72-57 victory over James Madison on Feb. 11.
About ODU
The Monarchs hosted Christopher Newport for an exhibition game on Oct. 27 and sank the Captains, 97-61. CNU led 21-14 at the end of the first quarter, but ODU took over the game from there. All 14 Monarchs found the scoring column with Mariah Clayton (13 points), Kelsey Thompson (12 points), Simaru Fields (11 points) and Simone Cunningham (10 points) pacing the offense.
ODU was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. En’Dya Buford represented the Monarchs on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team and Thompson earned a spot on the Third Team. This year’s squad features four returners in Buford, Cunningham, Mikayla Brown and Brenda Fontana from a 2023-24 team that finished 22-10 overall, reached the semifinals of the Sun Belt Championship, and earned a bid to the WNIT. Buford was ODU’s leading scorer last year with 12.4 points per game and Cunningham led the Monarchs on the glass with 6.9 reboards per game. Thompson transferred from South Alabama and led the Jaguars with 12.0 points per game, 88 free throws made and 68 assists. ODU also added a graduate transfer from nearby Hampton University in Camryn Hill, who was named a Third Team All-CAA selection and Second Team HBCU Division I All-American after leading the Lady Pirates in scoring (388 points, 14.4 ppg), three-pointers (31), free throws made (87) and blocks (21).
Key departures for the team include last year’s Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Kaye Clark, and the Monarch’s starting point guard the past two seasons, Jordan McLaughlin. Both graduated and are now teammates on ZKK Kraljevo, a team in the First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia. Also making the jump to the professional level after last season are Lanetta Williams, who is playing for the East Cavan Eagles of the Ireland Division 1 league, and Ivi Nikolova, who is with Levharti Chomutov of the Czech National Basketball League.
ODU enters its third season in the Sun Belt since rejoining the conference in 2022 and has reached the conference tournament semifinals in back-to-back seasons, falling to the eventual champions both times (James Madison in 2023 and Marshall in 2024). The Monarchs were previously members of the Sun Belt from 1982-91, capturing five Sun Belt titles during that time (1983, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1990). Head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones is in her fifth season leading the program, amassing a record of 81-43 (.653) through her first four seasons. The Monarchs are looking for their fourth-straight season with 20-plus wins and were listed 124th in last season’s final NET rankings.
About Ball State
The Cardinals went 28-6 last season and 16-2 in conference play for their third-straight season with 20-plus wins. Ball State fell 65-50 to Kent State in the MAC Championship semifinals and received a bid to the inaugural NCAA WBIT, falling 77-59 to Belmont University in the first round.
Ball State was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference, receiving 10 of 12 first-place votes, and returns four of its five starters from last season. Ally Becki was named to the league’s preseason first team after leading the team with 13.0 points per game in 2023-24. Madelyn Bischoff landed on the preseason second team and was the Cardinals top threat from distance with 77 makes from beyond the arc. Other key returners include Alex Richard (9.4 ppg) and Marie Kiefer (7.2 ppg) Kiefer was the leading rebounder with 184 boards (5.4 rpg). Nyla Hampton (8.7 ppg) is using her last year of eligibility as a grad transfer at Michigan State. Ball State added transfers in Elise Stuck from Michigan, Maliyah Johnson from Texas A&M, and Tessa Towers from Wisconsin.
The Cardinals hosted Indiana University Kokomo for an exhibition last Wednesday and cruised to a 98-45 win over the Cougars. Head coach Brady Sallee is in his 13th season guiding the program and has led the Cardinals to a 237-147 (.617) mark through his first 12 seasons. The final NET rankings for 2023-24 listed Ball State 81st and the team heads into this season ranked third in CollegeInsider.com’s Mid Major Top 25 poll.
Up Next
ODU will be in Dallas, Texas this Saturday, Nov. 9 for a 2 p.m. EST meeting with SMU.
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.