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

The ODU women's basketball team will begin the conference season against the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Thursday night. (Snow permitting of course) This is the only regular season game against UAB this season. For ODU, they will try to win two games in a row for the first time this season.

The Blazers are coached by Randy Norton who is entering his fifth year with the Blazers. Norton signed a baseball contract to pitch for the Montreal Expos (mlb) before he graduated colllege. But one of his biggest basketball highlights was being on the 1980 Final Four Iowa Hawkeyes team under Lute Olsen. In the semi championship game they lost to Louisville 80-72. Iowa fans remember that game to this day since their star player, Ronnie Lester went down in first 12 minutes of the game...leaving fans to say "What If...?"

UAB Blazers (11-2), RPI: 122, SOS: 317. 7-0 at home, 3-1 on the road. 1-1 neutral court.
Vs Miss Valley St W 87-72 Record: 0-13 RPI: 330
Vs Southern Ill W 76-66 Record: 6-6 RPI: 180
Miles College W 85-42. Non Division One team, does not count in RPI.
St Mary's Tournamnet (San Francisco, CA)
Vs Indiana L 63-71 Record: 7-8 RPI: 76
Vs UCSB W 67-54 Record: 3-9 RPI: 238
@ Appalachian St W 70-59 Record: 2-11 RPI: 280
@ HIgh Point W 77-61 Record: 5-5 RPI: 154
Vs Samford W 77-53 Record: 7-7 RPI: 100
@ Memphis L 62-64 Record: 5-10 RPI: 200
Vs Alabama A&M W 85-58 Record: 5-7 RPI: 270
Vs Alabama St W 61-44 Record: 1-10 RPI: 264
@ South Alabama W 78-66 Record: 8-4 RPI: 116
Vs Tuskegee W 105--50 Non Division One team, does not count in RPI.
@ ODU Record: 2-11 RPI: 309

Blazers Starting Five
#20 Deanna Kuzmanic 5'9" G Jr 12.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 45.0 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 1.000 FT%, 32.2 mpg
#03 Angela Vendrell 6'2" G So 4.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 29.7 FG%, 20.0 3P%, 46.7 FT%, 17.5 mpg
#24 Kara Rawls 6'1" G/F Sr 5.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.6 apg, 56.3 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 18.3 mpg
#32 Rachael Chidlress 5'10" F So 15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 46.7 FG%, 47.7 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 29.3 mpg
#0 Miyah Barnes 5'5" PG So 11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 50.5 FG%, 41.7 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 29.9 mpg
Top Bench
#34 Iamni Johnson 6'0" F So 8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.4 apg, 46.8 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 68.2 Ft%, 19.1 mpg

UAB does a lot of rotating players. They have 10 players who average more than 12 minutes a game. They like to run the ball and they will spread the ball. They do have guards that average 3.8 and 4.5 apg. As a team they shot above 40.0% from the three point line. They have good size on the permiter. This will not be an easy team to play. They do a good job of limiting turnovers as a team and they are known for playing defense.

Inside the numbers
Team.............UAB....ODU
PPG...............74.0.....54.2
OPPG............59.2.....67.1
FG%...............45.7.....36.5
OFG%.............37.6....42.9
3P%................41.0....29.5
3MPG.............8.0.......6.4
Opp3%...........30.7.....33.8
FT%................70.0.....59.6
FTMPG............11.2.....8.8
RPG................39.9.....33.2
OpRPG...........33.7......36.5
APG...............16.7......11.6
TPG................12.8......15.5
SPG.................6.8.......5.9
BPG.................3.3......1.8
Ast/TO ratio: UAB: 1.3, ODU: 0.7

Well the stats are what you would expect if an 11-2 team played an 2-11 team. You have to hope that ODU builds off the team's last win and keeps playing away.

Obviously the weather may play a part in tomorrow's game. So Monarch Fans just be safe. ODU may have the game over the internet (for free) if they think it is dangerous for fans to come to the game. So keep checking for updates.

ODU lost 74-61. Wonder if anyone made it out to see this?

Good news. ODU cut UAB's 21 point lead to 9 in the second half. Bad news: UAB's PG Barnes scored 13 of her 24 points in the 4th quarter to give UAB a 74-61 victory.
For the Monarchs, Victoria Morris lead the team with 19 points, adding 5 more three's to her career. Timmons had 17 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists, 2 turnovers. Oigbokie had 14 points, 8 boards. As a team 12 assists, 12 turnovers. Carley Brew makes her first start of her career. UAB went 50% from the 3% line, 10-for-20. The Monarchs were hurt by fouls (and lack of depth).

Next up, Charlotte 49ers.

It's on TV now (Bein). There's like three people in the stands behind the benches. Didn't see anybody on the ends. How much snow did campus end up seeing?

Probably 8 to 12 inches in some areas.

There isn't anyone there. Not surprising. The roads are pretty brutal. I had to go over to Norfolk to work this morning an it was a long, difficult drive. I got off about 1 and came home to Newport News and wasn't doing that drive a second time. Roads were improved coming home this afternoon, but still pretty sketchy in places. I saw a State Trooper stuck in the snow on 64 on the way home. With the temperatures, driving back tonight at 9 wouldn't have been fun.

I guess the good news on this team is Freshman Victoria Morris is going to be really, really good.

(01-04-2018 10:33 PM)Stanger Wrote:  It's on TV now (Bein). There's like three people in the stands behind the benches. Didn't see anybody on the ends. How much snow did campus end up seeing?

ODU's twitter account said 6.5 inches at the main campus, 5 at the VA Beach Campus and 7 at the Tri-Cities campus.