During an event that saw the presence of some of its most renowned alumni, the Old Dominion women’s basketball team continued its domination over Georgia State, winning for the 12th consecutive time against the Panthers. Led by En’Dya Buford, who scored 18 points, including 10 points on ten attempts from the free throw line in the last 2:15, the Monarchs defeated the Panthers 73-65 on Alumni Day at Chartway Arena.
The game, which drew a crowd of 3,198 — the second largest of the season — marked the second consecutive victory for ODU and the fifth win in the last seven games, bringing their overall record to 14-5 and their Sun Belt record to 6-3.
At halftime, nearly 40 former players and coaches were introduced, including former coach Wendy Larry, All-American Ticha Penicheiro, Celeste Hill, Amari Young, Adrienne Goodson, Nyree Roberts, and Stacy Himes. Goodson, a member of the 1985 national championship team, wore a jersey honoring the late Medina Dixon, a former ODU All-American.
Head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones acknowledged that playing in front of alumni brought an energy of championship caliber with them, adding that their presence was always a treat. She also noted that many of the alumni regularly visit the team during practices.
ODU started the game sluggishly, with Georgia State’s Mikyla Tolivert and Mya Williams managing back-to-back steals and layups. However, Milton-Jones called a timeout two minutes into the game to quickly get her team focused, leading to a more controlled performance throughout the remainder of the game. The Monarchs led for all but three minutes and took a 14-point lead three minutes into the fourth quarter after a 7-0 run that included two free throws, a layup from Kaye Clark, and a three-pointer from Mimi McCollister.
Despite the lead, Georgia State mounted a comeback in the final minutes, with the Monarchs’ lead dipping to six after two Patience Williams free throws with 2:45 remaining. With time running out and ODU holding onto the ball, Georgia State began to press, prompting the Monarchs to call on Buford to win the game for them.
Remarkably, Buford, who was injured in ODU’s previous game, scored nine of her 10 free throws without touching the rim, securing the win for the Monarchs.
In terms of overall scoring, it was a balanced night for ODU, with nine players scoring and 14 players playing 2:58 or more. Only Clark and McLaughlin played more than 30 minutes, with McLaughlin scoring 12 points and four assists, and Clark adding 10 points and three steals. Brenda Fontana had eight points, and Simone Cunningham scored seven points and grabbed ten rebounds.
Milton-Jones emphasized the importance of using as many players as possible.
“We didn’t recruit players to come and just sit on the bench. We recruited them so that they can come and play an integral part in our success,” Milton-Jones stated. “We want to get more people acclimated in the regular season so that in tournament play, they are fresh and confident.”
ODU will be on the road next week, with games at Texas State on Jan. 31 and Arkansas State on Feb. 3. They will return home on Wednesday, Feb. 7, when they host the University of Troy.
