Old Dominion (7-4) vs. Virginia State (7-3)
Game Info – Sunday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – ESPN Radio 94.1
Live Stats – Click Here
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NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women's basketball returns to Chartway Arena this Sunday for a 2 p.m. meeting with Virginia State. The Monarchs were originally scheduled to host Delaware, but had to postpone that game due to a lack of available players for the Blue Hens.
Chip Tarkenton and Kim Aston will call the action on ESPN+ while Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry can be heard on ESPN Radio 94.1. Live stats will also be available.
The Series
Sunday will mark the first meeting between the two programs since the 1981-82 season with ODU leading 14-1 in the all-time series. The Monarchs have won eight in a row against the Trojans and took the last meeting 86-30 on Nov. 20, 1981 in Norfolk.
About ODU
An 11-0 run in the second quarter and another 11 unanswered in the third helped the Monarchs (7-4) secure a 75-58 road win over Howard last Tuesday in Washington, D.C. En’Dya Buford recorded her second double-double in as many games with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Simaru Fields was next with 13 points and Kelsey Thompson added 12 as ODU held the lead for over 33 minutes.
Buford leads the offense with 12.5 points per game, followed by Fields (9.9 ppg) and Thompson (6.9 ppg). Buford has made 12 three-pointers this season and is currently second in the Sun Belt in free throws made (46) and free throw attempts (60). The Memphis, Tennessee native also owns team highs with 70 rebounds (6.4 rpg), 39 assists and 24 steals. Fields is the top three-point shooter with 19 makes from distance and Mariah Clayton and Simone Cunningham both average 6.4 ppg and have made eight and six blocks, respectively.
As a team, ODU is averaging 61.5 points against 58.8 points allowed for a +2.7-scoring margin. The Monarchs are shooting 35.2% from the field, 24.0% from long range, and 66.2% at the free-throw line. Through games played on Dec. 20, the team ranks fourth in the nation in three-point percentage defense (21.7%), 11th in offensive rebounds per game (16.8), and 25th in field goal percentage defense (35.4%). ODU is also second in the Sun Belt in scoring defense and rebounds per game (43.18) and is listed 115th in the latest NET rankings.
About Virginia State
The Trojans (7-3) fell at Fayetteville State, 65-46 on Thursday and are playing a 2 p.m. game at Claflin University on Saturday. Skylar White and Kendahl Spearman led VSU in the loss with 10 points apiece, Amesha Miller tallied eight points with 14 rebounds, and Carmen Kweti finished with eight points and 13 boards.
VSU’s offense is led by Anii Harris’ 13.8 ppg and Miller’s 12.6 ppg. Tiyanna James (6.8 ppg) has knocked down 14 threes while Kweti averages 7.5 points and ranks seventh in NCAA Division II with 11.3 rpg. She’s also 15th in total rebounds (113), 16th in offensive rebounds per game (4.3), and 24th in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). Mihjae Hayes has dished out 29 assists and collected 22 steals, Kweti also owns 22 steals, and Harris is up to 20. Kweti and Miller have made a combined 16 blocks between them.
The Trojans net 65.4 ppg and allow 56.0 ppg for a +9.4-scoring margin. They shoot 38.4% from the floor, 23.7% from the perimeter, and 63.8% at the line. VSU is also 14th amongst DII programs in steals per game (13.5), 18th in turnover margin (6.40), and 19th in turnovers forced per game (23.80).
VSU is coming off a 2023-24 campaign that saw them finish 23-5. The Trojans were picked to finish third in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Associations (CIAA) Preseason Poll behind Fayetteville State and Claflin. Returners Miller and Hayes were named to All-CIAA preseason performers along with Harris, a transfer from Bowie State.
Head Coach Nadine Domond is in her third year leading the program and was a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree at Iowa, helping the Hawkeyes win the 1997 Big Ten Championship. She also served as a graduate assistant at Hampton in 2002, was elevated to an assistant coach for the Pirates for the 2003-04 season, and was on the staff at the Apprentice School from 2005-07.
Up Next
ODU will open Sun Belt Conference play at home when the Monarchs host South Alabama for a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, Dec. 29.