No. 5 Old Dominion (17-14, 9-9 SBC) vs. No. 8 Georgia State (16-15, 8-10 SBC)
Game Info – Friday, March 7 at 12:30 p.m. EST
Location – Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, Fla.)
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – ESPN Sports Radio 94.1 FM
Live Stats – Click Here
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s basketball begins its Sun Belt Championship run on Friday when the Monarchs take the court against No. 8 seed Georgia State. Tipoff at the Pensacola Bay Center is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry will also cover the game on ESPN Sports Radio 94.1 FM. Live stats will also be available.
The Series
ODU and GSU split their Sun Belt series this season with both teams winning on the road. After the Monarchs won 64-57 on Jan. 25 in Atlanta, the Panthers won 66-62 on Jan. 29 in Norfolk. Old Dominion leads the all-time series, 21-2.
Friday will also be the second time in the past three seasons that the two programs will meet in the Sun Belt Championship. ODU defeated GSU, 66-56 in the second round of the tournament on March 1, 2023. Jatyjia Jones led the Monarchs in that game with 16 points, Jordan McLaughlin scored 13 points, Makayla Dickens had 11 points and Amari Young recorded an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
About ODU
The Monarchs (17-14, 9-9 Sun Belt) enter the conference tournament as the No. 5 seed. They went 1-1 in their last two regular season games, which were both on the road. ODU won big at Coastal Carolina, 81-65 on Feb. 26 before taking a tough lost at Georgia Southern, 86-79 on Feb. 28. ODU is currently 162nd in the latest NET rankings.
En’Dya Buford was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team and is scoring a team-high 13.2 points per game. Through games played on March 5, she leads the conference and is 18th in the country with 76 steals. She’s also second in the Sun Belt with 122 made free throws, 150 free throw attempts, and 132 assists and is third in the league with 4.3 assists per game and 2.45 steals per game. Following her in scoring are Simaru Fields (11.2 ppg), Kelsey Thompson (9.4 ppg), and Simone Cunningham (9.0 ppg). Fields has made a team-high 61 three-pointers and Buford is next with 45 makes from distance. Cunningham has pulled down 239 rebounds (7.7 rpg) and is 12th in the country with 4.3 offensive rebounds per game. Cunningham and Brenda Fontana (8.3 ppg) have made 25 and 21 blocks, respectively.
The Monarchs are scoring 67.5 ppg and allow 65.6 ppg for a +1.8-scoring margin. The team is shooting a combined 37.7% from the field, including 29.6% from distance, and 68.3% at the free-throw line. ODU ranks fifth nationally with 16.5 offensive rebounds per game and 13th with 42.16 rebounds per game. The Monarchs are third in the league in both three-point percentage defense (28.9%) and free throw attempts per game (19.45).
About Georgia State
The Panthers (16-15, 8-10) defeated 12th-seeded Georgia Southern, 70-64 in a third-round game on Thursday. GSU trailed 38-33 at halftime, but scored 20 points in the third quarter to take over the game. Mikyla Tolivert led the way with 20 points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Crystal Henderson finished with 16 points.
Mahogany Matthews (6.9 ppg) was voted the league’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Sun Belt and finishing second in the nation with 97 blocks and 3.23 blocks per game. She also broke the program record for single-season blocks. Also earning postseason honors was Mikyla Tolivert (14.3 ppg), who secured a spot on the All-Sun Belt Third Team. Other Panthers averaging double-digit scoring include Crystal Henderson (10.8 ppg) and Kaleigh Addie (10.7 ppg). Mya Williams (8.9 ppg) has knocked down 51 threes, and Addie is next with 44. Henderson is second in the conference and 21st in Division I with 75 steals.
GSU owns a -2.4-scoring margin as the Panthers net 65.1 ppg but give up 67.4 ppg. The team is shooting 38.8% from the field, 31.1% from beyond the arc, and 72.2% at the charity stripe. The Panthers are 16th in the country with 11.6 steals per game and are 23rd with 4.6 blocks per game.
Up Next
The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the Quarterfinals and play No. 4 seed Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday.