Riley Stack Has a Career Night as ODU Women's Basketball Blows Past ULM, 85-62

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – There’s no place like home for the Old Dominion women’s basketball team, which got a career night from 6-foot-5 forward Riley Stack and played perhaps its most complete game of the season, as ODU rolled past ULM, 85-62, Wednesday at Chartway Arena.

It was ODU’s 10th victory in 12 home games and ended a two-game losing streak that occurred, naturally, on the road. And it was ODU’s most lopsided win since an 85-48 triumph over North Carolina Central on Nov. 23.

ODU (13-9 overall, 5-5 Sun Belt) pulled into a sixth-place tie with Texas State in the Sun Belt standings. ODU hopes to finish among the top four in the Sun Belt, which would guarantee the Monarchs a bye into the tournament quarterfinals.

Stack, the transfer from Coastal Carolina, was able to take advantage of her superior height over the shorter Warhawks (8-12, 3-8) and set career highs with 22 points, seven blocked shots, three steals and 10 field goals made.

Her nine rebounds tied a career high, and she missed only one shot all night.

After getting off to a slow start this season, Stack has scored in double figures in nine of ODU’s last 12 games.

“She was just a force to be reckoned with tonight,” Head Coach Delisha Milton-Jones said. “When we wanted to relieve the pressure, we just threw the ball to Riley.

“Defensively, she blocked shots, but she also altered a lot more shots.”

Simaru Fields and En’Dya Buford both added 15 points and Simone Cunningham had 12 for the Monarchs, who pounded the ball inside and scored 50 points in the paint.

ODU’s defense was also outstanding, as the Monarchs forced ULM to miss 28 of its 38 second-half shots.

Milton-Jones, who was honored before the game for claiming her 100^th victory at ODU, said she’s mystified as to why ODU isn’t playing as well on the road as the Monarchs play at home.

“There’s something magical about being in Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. We have to find out how to bottle up whatever we’re doing at home and take it on the road,” she said.

“But I’m proud of how we played tonight. We played tough and we did it consistently, and that’s something that we’ve been really trying to do, play the right way and not being inconsistent.”

Stack got ODU off to a 12-4 lead in the game’s first four minutes by scoring eight points, picking off two steals, pulling down three rebounds, and blocking a shot before heading to the bench with her first foul – she has oft been in foul trouble this season.

Laila Walker, who transferred from ULM, gave ODU a 10-point lead, with a running layup three minutes into the second quarter – Walker finished with five points against her former team.

Stack finished off the final 38 seconds of the first half with back-to-back layups as the Monarchs grabbed a 43-30 halftime lead.

The Warhawks never got the lead under double figures again.  

Milton-Jones has a 144-100 record overall, including two seasons at Pepperdine, and a 112-68 record in 5 1/2 seasons at ODU.

“I knew when I took the job here that I was filling the shoes of giants and that this program is accustomed to winning,” she said. “I’m super happy and proud of the work that we've done in the six years that I’ve been here.

“We have tremendous support here. I’m so glad we have the support of President Hemphill and Dr. Selig,” she added, referring to President Brian O. Hemphill and Dr. Wood Selig, ODU’s director of athletics.

ODU next plays Southern Miss Saturday at 1 p.m. at Chartway Arena.

ODU’s home season is rapidly drawing to a close. ODU has only two remaining home games after Saturday – Wednesday, Feb. 11, against Coastal Carolina and the TowneBank Royal Rivalry game against James Madison on Saturday, Feb. 14.

ODU concludes the regular season with four consecutive road games before the Sun Belt Tournament, which is held March 5-11 in Pensacola, Florida.

Minium is ODU's Senior Executive Writer for Athletics. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

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