FRISCO, TEXAS - Old Dominion women’s basketball dropped the final game of the 2025 Women’s Hoopfest Challenge, 84-46 to Oregon on Thanksgiving morning.
“All losses are tough to experience but the growth that is coming from this will build championship character that will serve us in a major way within conference play,” said ODU head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones. “It was a great holiday tournament filled with great teams.”
ODU (5-3) got out to a 4-0 run in the first two minutes thanks to a made layup by Simone Cunningham and a pullup fastbreak jumper by Kelsey Thompson. Oregon’s (8-0) Katie Fiso went 1-for-2 at the line and Mia Jacob made a second-chance jumpshot to trim the Ducks’ deficit to one point. Fiso scored a fastbreak layup to go ahead 6-5 and Oregon wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the remainder of the quarter. Sofia Bell netted a three-pointer with 2:40 remaining to go up 18-11 and Ehis Etute would go 2-for-2 at the line as the first quarter ended, 20-11.
Oregon’s Astera Tuhina opened the second quarter with a three-pointer but Simaru Fields answered back with her own, five seconds later. Tuhina came back on the next possession and net a second-chance jumper. Nevaeh Scott went to the line and make both free throws to cut Oregon’s lead to nine, 25-16 at the 8:59 mark. Oregon would respond, Astera made a layup, Etute went 1-for-2 at the line, and Jacobs netted a three to go up 33-18 with 6:02 in the second. Dalanna Carter made her first career start for Old Dominion and went to the line with 2:18 left, she made both to trim ODU’s deficit to 11. Tuhina responded with a pullup, Fiso a jumper off an ODU turnover, and Amina Muhammad a fastbreak layup with eight seconds left to go up 41-25 at the break.
Carter opened the second half with a made second chance three-pointer in the corner at 9:23 and Thompson made a mid-range jumpshot a minute later, 43-30. Janiyah Williams made a fast break layup at the 5:11 mark to give Oregon a 20-point lead, 50-30. ODU would score five points the remainder of the quarter, with points coming from Fields and Nakiyah Allen. Fields went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe, Allen went 2-for-2 and scored the final basket of the quarter with 36 seconds remaining, 59-35 at the end of three.
ODU scored first in the final quarter with Allen continuing to find the net, this time it was a layup in the paint 14 seconds in. Ponder hit a three from the right wing to make the score, 63-40. ODU scored six more points the rest of the way as the game ended, 84-46.
Kelsey Thompson led the Monarchs with 10 points followed by Simone Cunningham’s eight and Simaru Fields seven. Cunningham brought down nine boards and Riley Stack swatted four blocks.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs return to Chartway Arena to match up against the Delaware State Hornets on Monday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m.