WHO: ODU (8-5, 0-1 SBC) vs Georgia Southern (9-3, 2-0 SBC) | vs Georgia State (6-8, 1-1 SBC)
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 1 - 2:00 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 3, 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Norfolk, Va. - Chartway Arena
ALL-TIME: ALL-TIME: ODU leads GS, 5-1 | leads GSU, 20-3
Live Stats: Click Here! | Click Here!
LISTEN: Fox Sports Radio 1310 AM
SOCIAL MEDIA: X, Facebook, Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion women’s basketball starts the new year off with a two-game homestand against Sun Belt Conference opponents. The Monarchs take on Georgia Southern on New Years Day at 2 p.m. and then faces off against Georgia State on Monday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Matthew Hatfield and Shonda Deberry can be heard on Fox Sports Radio 1310 AM and live stats will also be available.
ALL-TIME SERIES & LAST TIME OUT:
Old Dominion lost to Georgia Southern, 86-79 on Feb. 28, 2025. The Monarchs and Eagles were knotted at 34 going into the half but a strong 31-point fourth quarter in Statesboro fueled GS to the home victory. Nakiyah Mays-Prince led the way for the Eagles with 20 points but ODU’s En’Dya Buford led all scorers with 24.
Old Dominion fell to the Panthers in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Quarterfinal, 65-62 on Mar. 7, 2025. ODU outscored GSU in the opening half but a combined 60 points from Crystal Henderson (32) and Mikyla Tolivert (28) propelled the Panthers to second half success. Georgia State outscored Old Dominion, 20-14 in the final stanza.
ABOUT ODU:
The Silver and Blue are coming off an 89-68 victory against Indiana State on Monday, Dec. 22 at the Cherokee Invitational. The Monarchs are 8-5 through the first two months of the season and are seeking their first SBC win.
The Monarchs are the 11th best shot blocking team in the nation, averaging 6.4 blocks per game. Junior transfer forward Riley Stack is tied for fifth in the nation with 38 blocks. Laila Walker’s 13 blocks are good for seventh in the SBC and Simone Cunningham’s 12 blocks are tied for 10th in the conference.
ODU is ranked 26th in Division I in total rebounding (43.85) and is 24th in offensive rebounding output (15.9 orpg). The Silver and Blue ranks 57th in the nation with 10.8 steals per game. ODU is shooting 72.6% from the charity stripe this year to rank second in the SBC.
Old Dominion holds opposing teams to 35% shooting from the field, which is good for 26th in Division I. The Monarchs defend the perimeter at a high rate, holding teams to a shooting percentage of 27% to rank 59th in the NCAA. ODU forces an average of 19.85 turnovers per game. En’Dya Buford has 28 steals this season which is good for 5th in the SBC, Simaru Fields ranks ninth in the conference with 27.
ABOUT GS:
The Eagles are 9-3 heading into Thursday’s meeting against the Monarchs. GS is steered by Hana Haden in her second season in Statesboro and are 2-0 in SBC action with victories over Georgia State and App State.
GS has four players who average double-digit scoring. Destiny Garrett is the team leader with 13.9 ppg followed by Mckenna Eddings’ 13.4. Shanti Simmons has started all 12 games for the Eagles and averages 12.8 ppg. Kishyah Anderson has made eight starts and rounds out the top four scorers with 11.8 ppg.
Georgia Southern scored an average of 77.2 points per game and concedes 66.2 for an +11-scoring margin. The Eagles shoot 46.3% from the field and 28.2% from behind the arc. At the charity stripe, GS shoots 71.2%.
ABOUT GSU:
The Panthers are 1-1 in Sun Belt Conference action after losing their conference opener against Georgia Southern, 68-47 but bounced back to defeat Coastal Carolina, 68-63 in Conway, S.C. GSU is led by head coach Gene Hill in his eighth season with the program.
Henderson paves the way on the offensive side of the ball with 15.1 ppg and a team high 61 assists. Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu grabs 5.9 rebounds per game and scores at a 10.5 ppg clip. Kaleigh Addie has started 12-of-14 games and ranks second on the team with 10.6 ppg. Henderson and Addie have made 39 three-pointers between the two on 143 attempts.
GSU nets 70.1 points per game but concedes 73.3 for a -3.1-scoring margin. The Panthers shoot 38.6 from the field, 24.4 from deep, and 67.4 from the free throw line. Georgia State grabs 32.6 boards per game and average 12.9 steals per game to their opponents 6.8.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs head out on the road for a two-game trip, ODU starts it by making their way to Huntington, W.Va. to face Marshall on Wednesday, Jan. 7 before heading to Statesboro, Ga. for a rematch against the Eagles on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 1 p.m.