ODU Women's Basketball Rallies to Defeat Delaware, 73-66, in Overtime
Simone Cunningham led ODU with 23 points and 11 rebounds and a stalwart defensive effort.
By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s basketball team played with poise when it absolutely had to and held off upset-minded Delaware, 73-66, in overtime Wednesday night at Chartway Arena.
Delaware erased what had been a 10-point ODU lead and took a two-point lead into the final minute. But the Monarchs sent the game into overtime on a Kelsey Thompson jump shot with 14 seconds left.
ODU then dominated the Fightin' Blue Hens in overtime.
“It was a gutsy win, a hard-fought battle,” said ODU Head Coach DeLisha Milton-Jones.
But she was less than pleased with her team’s effort, especially in the first half.
“We made just one of our first 15 shots,” she said. “We missed 12 out of our first 15 layups.
“These slow starts, it’s becoming a trend. But at least we found a way to win the game.”
Senior Simone Cunningham led ODU (2-1) with a career-high 23 points and added 11 rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes. And even when the ODU defense was soft in the first half, Cunningham played with passion and urged her teammates to pick up the pace.
Milton-Jones called Cunningham ODU’s “Dennis Rodman,” referring to the physical former Chicago Bulls forward.
“She willed us to victory in the paint,” Milton-Jones said.
ODU guard Simaru Fields made just one of nine shots in the first half – a fallaway three-pointer – but scored 16 in the second half to finish with 19.
But it was Thompson, the senior from Mobile, Alabama, who was ODU’s hero this night. Without her final jump shot in regulation, ODU likely would have never made it to overtime.
She finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Thompson missed a three-point shot with 21 seconds left, but then charged toward the basket and snagged the rebound and then made a 10-foot jump shot.
“I knew it was going in before she let it go,” Cunningham said. “She’s our mid-range assassin.”
ODU outrebounded the Blue Hens, 55-44, but it was at the foul line where the Monarchs won – they made 22 of 23 free throws. Delaware, meanwhile, made just 17 of 29.
ODU led, 62-56, with 5:19 left in the game on a Thompson step-back jump shot. But then the bottom fell out for the Monarchs
Ande’a Cherisier made a layup followed by a three-point shot from Trinity Vance and with 3:35 left, ODU’s lead was cut to just one point, 62-61.
Vance then made a layup, was fouled and made the foul shot to give the Blue Hens a 64-62 lead with 2:19 left.
The Monarchs floor game failed them in the final minutes of regulation, as they committed four turnovers.
Delaware was in a position to clinch the victory with 24 seconds left, as Kailah Correa had two foul shots. But she missed both and ODU’s Nissa Muhammad rebounded to give ODU new life
ODU appeared much fresher in overtime – the Monarchs used 13 players to nine for Delaware – and quickly took control. Dalanna Carter made a fast-break layup, Cunningham followed with a layup and free throw, and the Monarchs led by five.
Cherisier made a layup with 1:44 left to trim the lead to three, but the Blue Hens failed to score the rest of the way.
ODU and Delaware were once members of what was then known as the Colonial Athletic Association, and they dominated the league. They combined to win 19 of 22 CAA championships between 1992 and 2013.
ODU moved on to Conference USA before joining the Sun Belt. Delaware joined Conference USA this season.
Clearly, the rivalry still matters to the Blue Hens, who took an early 11-0 lead and led by eight at halftime. Milton-Jones praised the Blue Hens and Head Coach Sarah Jenkins, who have been riddled with injuries.
“They fought to the very end,” she said. “They fought with everything they had within them. They worked hard and they did it together collectively.”
Milton-Jones spent an unusually long time in her locker room and said the message to her players was to not take any team lightly.
“But at the end of the day, the second half was who we are,” she said. “Our defense won the game for us. And when our defense changed, our offense changed, and got our gears going collectively.”
ODU next plays at William & Mary on Sunday, and then travels to East Carolina on Friday, Nov. 21, before returning home to play on Sunday, Nov. 23, against North Carolina Central.