The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

This Thursday the ODU LM return home after a long road game to play Marshall.
On December 20th 2016 the Marshall women's basketball program set a Con USA record for most points scored against by one team in a game, beating the University of Maine Fort Kent 132-62. UMFK is a member of the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) and doesn't count in the NPI rankings. But it's the type of game that raises everyone's overall stats, because a lot of career highs came in that game.

Interesting side note: The Marshall men's scoring record is 131 points set against some team called Old Dominion from Feb 27, 1968. The current head coach of the men's team is Dan D'Antoni who was a junior on that squad.

Schedule so far... Record: 8-3 vs D-I teams, 10-3 overall, (2-0) RPI: 213 SOS: 342
@ Illinois W 55-53 Record: 6-9 RPI: 185
Vs Florida A&M W 77-67 Record; 0-11 RPI: 342
Vs Costal Carolina W 84-66 Record: 4-6 RPI: 258
UTRGV Classic
vs Sam Houston W 73-50 Record: 0-10 RPI: 332
Vs Prairie View A&M L 78-68 Record: 5-8 RPI: 184
-----------
Vs Morgan State W 62-43 Record: 1-11 RPI: 345
@ Penn St L 82-80 Record: 10-4 RPI: 76
@ UNC L 75-53 Record: 11-3 RPI: 60
Vs Bluefield College W 77-35 NAIA school Doesn't count in RPI.
Vs Longwood W 70-50 Record: 2-7 RPI: 250
Vs Maine Fort Kent W 136-62 USCAA school Doesn't count in RPI.
Vs FIU W 70-52 Record: 2-11 (0-2) RPI: 249
Vs Florida Atlantic W 76-53 Record: 3-9 (0-2) RPI: 265
@ ODU Record: 6-7 (1-1) Rank: 154

I don't understand why coaches continue to schedule games against non-Div one teams during the regular season. I guess traditon might be a part of it. But there is usually such a talent gap that I don't think it prepares team for division one level of play. But overall, I hate this schedule. So far Marshall has played two teams with a winning record. Thus they have a strength of schedule, 342...out of 349 teams. So think about that for a second...

The Thundering Herd's Starting Five
#00 Talequia Hamilton 6'0" F Rs Sr 11.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.6 bpg, 36.5 FG%, 27.9 3P%, 70.4 FT%, 26.4 mpg
#04 Khadaijia Brooks 5'10" G/F So 8.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 48.2 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 82.4 FT%, 29.7 mpg
#05 McKenzie Akers 5'6" G Rs Jr 7.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 38.7 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 22.1 mpg
#14 Shayna Gore 5'8" G/F So 16.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 apg, 44.2 FG%, 35.9 3P%, 75.9 FT%, 29.2 mpg
#22 Kiana Evans 6'0" G Sr 11.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.9 spg, 36.5 FG%, 27.9 3P%, 70.4 Ft%, 26.4 mpg
Top Bench
#10 Ashley Saintigene 6'2" F Fr 6.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, 2.5 bpg, 52.6 FG%, 0.00 3P%, 27.3 FT%, 17.5 mpg

Saintigene is a leading candiate for freshman of the year in the conference. She is a blocking machine (2.5 bpg) who lives down low in the post. That works with rhe Herd's game plan of...shoot the three. 38.8 of the team's shots are behind the arc...or more than a third. (84% of what Akers shoots is the three ball) This team loves to spread out the ball and they like to pass to each other. Defensively they are strong and aggressive down low. They lead the conference in block shots and opponents are shooting 34.0% against them, lowest in Con USA. (although to be fair...with there schedule, they have played a lot of bad shooting teams)

Inside the numbers...
...........MAR...ODU
PPG.....75.5....65.2
OPPG...58.9...66.0
FG%.....43.0...41.3
3P%.....32.5...29.3
3PGM....7.9.....4.2
FT%.....64.7...67.7
FTGM...13.5...12.2
RPG.....45.2...42.8
ORPG...36.9....37.4
APG.....13.1.....13.2
TPG......14.5.....18.2
SPG.......7.6.......6.9
BPG.......6.0.......3.9
Ast/TO ratio:
MAR: 0.9, ODU: 0.7

On paper, this game will feature two of the best rebounding teams in Con USA. However the blow out game that Marshall played had 25 offensive boards and 65 total boards. Yes they are a good rebounding team, but maybe not as good as there overall stats indicate.

ODU's average of 4.2 three points per game is tied with UTEP for lowest in Con USA. It's a part of our game that is missing. Simms averages 1.6 threes a game by the way.

After Sunday's loss against North Texas needs to energize this team and get it back on track. Be at home will help. Playing in front of fans will help. It's Barefoot night, which is a charity KB does.

I would like for this season to be more about the team and less about how Simms breaking ODU scoring records. Now is a good time to turn around the ship. Because the WKU team that we play on Saturday is really, really good.... (Trust me, the LM will need your support on Saturday...even more than they need it today)