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

This Thursday ODU will host the Longwood Lancers in the annual educational game. If you are familiar with Longwood University than you know that it was founded primarly as a teacher preparation school. In fact, from 1924 to 1949 it was called the State Teachers College and was regarded as the best program in the state. It was an all women's college until about 1976 when the College went full coeducational.

But Longwood isn't new to ODU basketball fans. In fact if you go back to the ODU women's first season in 1969-70 under coach Mary Jackson we played them twice. The last time that ODU played Longwood was back in the 1980-81 season when we beat them 113-37 under Marianne Stanley lead by a sophmore named Anne Donovan. After that season, Longwood stayed at the division two level and ODU...well the rest is history. Longwood went Division I in 2004 and joined the Big South conference in 2012. Some sports fans have never heard of Longwood because they don't have a football team.

Last season the Lancers went 7-23 (5-13) and were 1-14 on the road. After the season, the school parted ways with head coach Bill Reinson who had the job since 2010-11. The new coach is Rebecca Tillett. She spent the last two year as the associate head coach at Navy. ODU fans might remember the name though, she played at William and Mary in the CAA. (class of '99)

This season they are 1-2. Let's take a look...
@ VCU L 55-84 Record: 4-2 RPI: 120
Vs Wagner L 60-86 Record: 1-5 RPI: 319
Vs Maryland-Eastern Shore W 83-71 Record: 0-5 RPI: 294 (they have two wins over a non-divsion one school, including Regent University)
@ ODU Record: 5-1 RPI: 39

The Starting Five. (Stats based on first two games)
03 Stephanie Guihon G 5'6" So 11.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 45.5 FG%, 1.000 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 29.0 mpg
04 Jada Russell G 5'7" Jr 5.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0 apg, 20.0 FG%, 0.91 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 21.0 mpg
21 Dayna Rouse G/F 6'0" Jr 10.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.5 bpg, 40.0 FG%, 0.00 3P%, 66.7 FT%, 26.0 mpg
24 Kristina Antonenko G/F 5'10" Sr 7.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 46.2 FG%, 0.00 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 22.0 mpg
25 Mallory Odell G/F 6'1" So 10.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 40.9 FG%, 16.7 3P%, 40.0 FT%, 32.5 mpg
Top Bench
05 Ciarah Bennett G 5'2" Sr 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 25.0 FG%, 0.00 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 25.5 mpg
11 Khaila Hall G 5'8" Rd So 4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 20.0 FG%, 0.00 3P%, 57.1 FT%, 13.0 mpg

On Tuesday Longwood begins a stretch of three games over five days. As I type this, they are leading MDESW while shooting 51.8% from the floor. Hall and Russell are your big three point shooters. Odell is also the team's powerhose down below and has a double double in this game. But they try to attach inside with Guihon and Rouse. Since it's mostly a guard offense, lots of running. But they don't have a deep bench.

Inside the Numbers.
................LU....ODU
PPG...........57.5....75.8
OPPG.........85.0...67.7
FG%..........30.9....38.9
OFG%........51.2....35.6
3P%...........07.5....32.5
3MPG.........1.5........6.8
FT%...........64.3......63.8
FTMPG........18.0......17.3
RPG.............31.5.....45.2
ORPG...........48.5.....42.3
APG.............7.0.......13.5
TPG.............14.5......12.7
SPG.............7.5........7.8
BPG.............2.5........3.2
Ast/TO ratio:
LU: 0.5, ODU: 1.1

Education games are pure fun. The crowd brings an energy that you just don't find in normal games. Also I think they should be like "homecoming" games. Traditionally you schedule homecoming games against teams that you know you can beat, otherwise its not a pretty sight. Longwood has a new coach and they going through growing pains. This should be a fun game for the Monarchs to fine tune some things before they take on NC State. Also....Rebecca Tillett has never beaten us as a player. Let's not let her beat us as a head coach.

I am curious if this is a "one and done" game, or if will we make a return visit to ever-exciting Farmville, VA. The NCAA does like to have a certain number of games scheduled against in-state rivals, so it wouldn't surprise me if we have to make a return game in the near future.

The Education Game is such a fun one to attend because of the 5k screaming kids who reach decibels that are difficult to describe and a bit hard on the ears. That aside, it’s wonderful to see a sea of youngsters having so much fun. The game should be a cake walk, if ODU plays to it’s abilities. It’s also a good game for the coach to work out a few kinks before getting a real contest at NC State.

Taking a long lunch to come to this one. I’ve been to several and it’s so much fun. They invite ticket holders to the VIP area. Up there, you can get full view of the kiddy chaos without having to be in it. Ice Cream and Cake is always spectacular.

Went to a few when in pep band. It gets LOUD. lol

Game is still set for 11:00 am despite the campus closed for a threat until 10:00 am this morning.

(11-29-2018 08:00 AM)Punk Wrote:  Game is still set for 11:00 am despite the campus closed for a threat until 10:00 am this morning.

Not so fast. They're going to give an update at 930.
https://twitter.com/ODU/status/1068126318385160193?s=19

(11-29-2018 08:09 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(11-29-2018 08:00 AM)Punk Wrote:  Game is still set for 11:00 am despite the campus closed for a threat until 10:00 am this morning.

Not so fast. They're going to give an update at 930.
https://twitter.com/ODU/status/1068126318385160193?s=19

Yeah, I saw that there will be an update at 9:30, but Doug says the game is still on as of now. Guess we will find out at 9:30...

cancelled