ODU Women End Losing Streak By Upsetting Arkansas State, 95-88

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak in satisfying fashion on Thursday, ending Arkansas State’s 13-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak and doing so in dominating fashion.

En’Dya Buford poured in a career-high 32 points and dished off 10 assists and the Monarchs outplayed Arkansas State from the start to the finish to upset the Red Wolves, 95-88, Thursday afternoon at Chartway Arena.

Arkansas State (17-9 overall, 13-2 Sun Belt) had not lost a Sun Belt game since Dec. 29, when the Red Wolves dropped their league opener at Appalachian State. The Red Wolves remain second to James Madison in the Sun Belt standings.

The Monarchs (15-13, 7-8) had lost six in a row and eight of their last nine but through it all, ODU Head Coach DeLisha Milton-Jones insisted her team had the ability to pull out of its funk and compete with the best in the conference.  

And on this afternoon, the Monarchs did. ODU outshot, outrebounded and outhustled the Red Wolves and played unselfishly, doling out 22 assists to just six for the Red Wolves.

Each time Arkansas State threatened to come back, the Monarchs kept their poise, and playing with poise had not been this team’s strength as of late.

Buford played all but 36 seconds and in the fourth quarter, when Arkansas State was desperately trying to rally, had the ball in her hands.

Arkansas State was forced to foul in the late going and that often meant fouling Buford, who made 13 of 14 free throws.

“We had to take the ball out of certain people’s hands that probably weren’t our best decision makers in late-game situations,” Milton-Jones said. “And we had to put the ball in the hands of someone who is our best decision maker.

“We needed to steady the ship and that meant having the ball in the right person’s hands.”

Kelsey Thompson (20 points) and Simone Cunningham (16 points, 10 rebounds) also played most of the fourth quarter. Simaru Fields added 11 points.

ODU outrebounded the Red Wolves, 37-29, and outscored them on the fast break, 17-8.

“This was a must-win situation for us,” Milton-Jones said. “We were so hungry for a win and we finally got one under our belt.

“It’s been 26 days since we won a game and 36 since we won a game at home. That’s a long time to go on a streak like that where the results aren’t in your favor. But we found a way tonight.”

ODU jumped out to an early lead, 13-6, on a Nisaa Muhammad three-pointer six minutes into the game.

Thompson extended the margin to 20-12 three minutes later with a 12-foot jump shot and the Monarchs led 24-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Arkansas State slowly but surely closed the margin in the second quarter and went into halftime with a tie as Arkansas State’s Annaliese Griffin tied the score at 43-all with 51 seconds left.

But ODU owned the third quarter and took a double-digit lead. Buford and Cunningham finished off the quarter with breakaway layups and ODU led, 68-56.

Mimi McCollister made one of two free throws for Arkansas State to trim the lead to eight, 72-64, less than two minutes into the fourth period.

But following an Arkansas State foul and technical foul, Cunningham and Buford each made two free throws to build the lead to 12. Then Brenda Fontana had a breakaway layup and with 6:58 left, ODU led, 78-64.

The outcome was never seriously in doubt the rest of the way.

“This was a very satisfying win,” Buford said. “We kept our poise and honestly, it’s easy when you have a head coach who stays calm whether we are winning or losing.

“This helps our confidence. We really needed this one.”

Originally billed as the Education Day game, the contest was moved from a scheduled 11 a.m. start to 2 p.m. and the Education Day activities canceled because of the snowstorm that blanketed Hampton Roads. More than 4,000 elementary school students from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk had been scheduled to attend.

Milton-Jones said she hopes for a large crowd on Saturday when the Monarchs host Georgia Southern on Senior Day at 2 p.m. The game is a doubleheader with the men's team, which hosts Georgia State at 7, also on its Senior Day. 

It will mark the final ODU home game for Buford and Fontana, both fifth-year seniors.

“I’m really hoping our fans will turn out,” she said. “I want them to come out and celebrate En’Dya Buford and Brenda Fontana. They’ve done amazing things for our program on and off the court, in the community and in the classroom.

“I hope it’s a magical day for them.”