Feb. 8, 2013
GAME INFO
Sunday, Feb. 10 - 4:30 p.m.
Old Dominion (16-6, 7-3) at Drexel (15-6, 8-2)
Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,532) - Philadelphia, Pa.
ESPN 94.1 FM Radio
Play-by-play: Doug Ripley
Live Stats
Live Audio
Live Video
ODU Game Notes
Drexel Game Notes
NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion University women's basketball team begins a stretch of four games in eight days starting on Sunday afternoon when they visit Drexel at 4:30 p.m. at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in a regionally televised game by Comcast SportsNet with Al Koken and Jody Lavin Patrick on the call.
TURNING UP THE DEFENSIVE PRESSURE
After forcing 22 turnovers by George Mason in Tuesday’s win over the Patriots, Old Dominion has now forced 20 turnovers or more in 16 of their 22 games this season. The Lady Monarchs lead the league overall (492) and in CAA games (209) is turnovers forced.
ON THE TUBE AGAIN
For the second consecutive Sunday and the third time this season, Old Dominion will appear on television as the game against the Dragons in Philadelphia is televised regionally on Comcast SportsNet. On Feb. 3, ODU defeated UNCW in Norfolk on CSN, 62- 55. The Lady Monarchs are 1-1 in TV games this year with their other game on air came on Nov. 30 at the Ted when ODU fell to No. 10/11 California, 63-47 on Cox 11.
SMOTHERING DEFENSE
ODU has held three opponents this season to less than 40 points in Virginia Tech (35), North Carolina Central (33) and most recently George Mason (39) making it the first time since the 2001-02 season that has happened. That season, ODU went 28-6 overall and advanced to the Elite Eight while holding four teams under 40 points.
FREE THROW LINE
ODU has been hot from the free throw line since CAA play has started. In four of of their league games, the Lady Monarchs have shot over 80% from the chairty stripe including a season high 84.6% from the line at UNCW on Jan. 17. In eight of their 10 CAA games this season, ODU is 71% or better from the free throw line. Overall in CAA action this season, ODU is shooting 75.0% (141-188).
BENCH HELP
The Lady Monarchs continue to utilize their bench having outscored the opposition 559- 280 in bench points this season. 39 percent of ODU’s season point total has come from their bench compared to just 23 percent from the opposition. In CAA play, the ODU bench is outscoring the opposing bench, 270-99.
ODU has had more bench points in 17 of their 22 games this season.
SECOND HALF SURGES
The Lady Monarchs have overcome a pair of double-digit halftime deficits in league play so far. Overall, they are outscoring the opposition this season in the second half, 771- 650. ODU averages 35 points after halftime compared to 29.5 for the opponents. In CAA games, ODU is outscoring the opposition, 348-305 with 35 second half points for the Lady Monarchs compared to 30.5 for the opponent.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday’s meeting will be the 22nd and final meeting between ODU and Drexel as CAA foes. The teams first met in 2002 with the Lady Monarchs holding a 16-5 advatange in the all-time series. The Dragons have won four of the past six meetings while ODU defeated the Dragons in Norfolk on Jan. 31, 53-50.
SCOUTING THE DRAGONS
Drexel comes in at 15-6 overall and 8-2 in the CAA and in thirdplace in the league. The Dragons are coming off a 62-48 win at Towson on Tuesday night.
The CAA’s overall leading scorer is senior Hollie Mershon at 18.9 points per game while averaging 6.5 rebounds and has connected on 44 three-pointers while adding 90 assists. Senior Taylor Wooten adds 11.0 points per contest.
Head Coach Denise Dillon, the school’s all-time wins leader, enters her 10th season at the helm of the Drexel program. Coming off its second CAA championship game appearance in four years, the Drexel was picked to finish fourth in the league this season. Senior Hollie Mershon, a Second Team All-CAA performer last season, was named to the Preseason First Team All-CAA. Mershon is one of four seniors returning for Drexel this season. The Dragons boasted a defense which finished atop the CAA and in the nation’s top five scoring defenses, allowing just 54.3 points per game.
The Dragons went 19-14 last season, including a 12-6 mark in conference play. Drexel made the WNIT last year, marking the fourth consecutive year they have made postseason play.
LAST TIME OUT
ODU won their third straight game on Feb. 5 with a 53-39 win at the Patriot Center over George Mason in Fairfax.
The Lady Monarchs forced 22 Patriot turnovers, making it the 16th time this season that an ODU opponent has turned it over 20 or more times and scored 16 points off those miscues while taking a 24-10 advantage in points in the paint.
Old Dominion used a balance scoring attack from Jackie Cook who scored 12 points and collected four rebounds and three assists along with Mairi Buchan and Tiffany Minor. Buchan scored nine points in the first half and tallied four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals in the game while Minor scored nine of her 11 points after halftime to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Lady Monarchs pressure defense flustered the Patriots at times as they turned it over on six consecutive possessions midway through the first half and didn’t score a point for over five minutes as ODU took a 29-21 lead into halftime.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Out of 343 teams, ODU ranks in the top 50 nationally in the following categories:
#21 Turnover Margin 5.36
#32 3-PT FG % Defense .267
#44 Steals Per Game 11.1
The Lady Monarchs have forced 492 turnovers in 22 games this year (22.4 per game).
LEAGUE LEADERS
The Lady Monarchs are atop the CAA in the following categories per game:
#1 Turnover Margin 5.36
#1 Steals Per Game 11.1
#2 Assists Per Game 15.1
#3 Blocked Shots 3.8
#3 Assist/Turnover Ratio 0.9
#3 Scoring Margin +9.5
#3 Field Goal % Defense .359
#3 Scoring Defense 55.5
#3 3-PT FG % Defense .267
BUCHAN EARNS ACADEMIC AWARD
Redshirt senior Mairi Buchan was named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team on Jan. 31 for the second straight year. The teams are selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Buchan holds a 3.93 grade point average majoring in biology (pre-med).
ATOP THE CAA IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
Old Dominion finished tied for the best non-conference record in the league at 9-3 along with Delaware.
Both the nine non-conference wins and the 9-3 start are bests for ODU since the 2007- 08 season when they went to the Sweet 16 with a record of 31-5.
BAREFOOT PRINTS
ODU head coach Karen Barefoot enters her 14th year as a head coach in 2012-13 and 200 plus wins in her career as she leads the Lady Monarch program in year two. As head coach at the Apprentice School in 2001, she led the Builders to a National Championship in the school's first ever women's sport while taking Lenoir-Rhyne the NCAA Tournament in the 2002-03 season. In 2010-11 while at Elon, she led the Phoenix to the WBI, the schools first ever women's basketball tournament appearance. The last time that ODU made the NCAA Tournament was in 2008 when Barefoot was an assistant coach for the Lady Monarchs and helped them make the Sweet 16.
CAA ROOKIE AWARDS
With LaQuanda Younger picking up her second CAA Rookie of the Week honors this season on Jan. 21, that marks the eighth time since the beginning of the 2011-12 season that an ODU player has recieved this award. Last season, Ashley Betz-White, the CAA Rookie of the Year, was honored four times while freshman Galaisha Goodhope earned the honor on Jan. 7 this season.
KAREN BAREFOOT SHOW
The Karen Barefoot Coach's Shows continue to pack the house at YNot Pizza in the Village behind the Ted. Joined by host Doug Ripley, Barefoot reviews the previous week's game and gives insight into the upcoming Lady Monarch matchups all season long. The next show is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19th at 6 p.m.
LADY MONARCHS INK TWO
Coach Barefoot announced the addition of Odegua Oigbokie and Destinee Young who signed letters of intent to play for the Lady Monarchs next fall on Nov. 14.
Oigbokie is a highly touted forward from Ridgeway High School in Memphis, Tenn., while Young is a power forward out of Hoffman Estates High School in Hoffmann Estates, Ill.
Oigbokie, who is 6-foot-1, averaged 18 points and eight rebounds as a junior and has been named all-district and all-region for Ridgeway the past two seasons. Young, who is also 6-foot-1, averaged 15.4 points and 11 rebounds as a junior at Hoffman Estates High School, where she already is the record holder for career rebounds and single-season blocks.
Out of the five recruits that second-year head coach Karen Barefoot has landed at ODU, four have been rated as three stars or better by ESPN. The other three were local freshmen guards Galaisha Goodhope out of Norfolk and LaQuanda Younger of Newport News and forward Chelisa Painter from Chesapeake who is sitting out this season after transferring from George Washington.
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The Last Meeting
January 31, 2013
Norfolk, Va.
NEWCOMERS
Head Coach Karen Barefoot added three freshmen this season in local talented guards Galaisha Goodhope and LaQuanda Younger along with center Brittany Martin out of the New York. Transferring in are forward Shae Kelley and Miami (FL) transfer guard Stephanie Gardner. The incoming class is ranked the best in the CAA and No. 42 in the country overall.
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The Old Dominion University women's basketball team persevered late on Thursday night to top Drexel at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, 53-50.
