ODU rallies for 17th straight CAA women's hoops title

NEWARK, Del.

In order to win No. 17, Old Dominion had to come back from 18.

As improbable as it looked early, the Lady Monarchs survived a Virginia Commonwealth team as hot as a furnace to secure their 17th straight Colonial Athletic Association tournament title 71-64 on Sunday at the Carpenter Center.

Old Dominion (29-4) improved to an amazing 50-0 in the conference tournament and awaits what is likely to be a No. 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. Pairings will be announced at 7 p.m. today.

When ODU trailed 34-16 after 14 minutes, not even the most ardent Lady Monarch fan could envision the celebratory scene that would later unfold for the top seed. So deliriously happy on what was also her 22nd birthday, senior T.J. Jordan dissolved into tears at the final buzzer; coach Wendy Larry hugged everyone in sight; and the piped-in rendition of Constant Center favorite "Ice Cream and Cake" transformed the 14th-ranked team into stoked-up dancers in championship T-shirts.

"I'm just so excited winning four of these," said beaming senior Shahida Williams, the tournament MVP after amassing 45 points and 26 rebounds in the three games. "Some people don't win any. It's something I can't explain, really. I'm just so excited."

While VCU (25-7) - having lost to ODU twice during the regular season by 20 points and minus sidelined center Quanitra Hollingsworth - hardly looked to be a match against the league stalwarts, nobody told that to the Rams.

VCU dazzled with a dizzying offensive arsenal in the first 14 minutes. The Rams were most proficient from behind the arc, sinking 6 of 9 in the first half. Radoslava Bachvarova's third 3-pointer of the period lofted VCU ahead 34-16 with 6:05 left, pleasing the Rams' paltry but festive cheering section.

"I'm not going to tell you our defense is impeccable, but it's not bad," Larry said. "There were very few shots that they hit that were wide-open looks. There was somebody present defensively almost every shot. They just knocked 'em down. They were playing on another planet."

Larry has a saying, about eating an elephant one bite at a time, and that's how ODU brought VCU back to earth in the four minutes before the break. Jazzmin Walters started the rally with a 3, her first of two in the period, and Jessica Canady scored a pair. The Lady Monarchs trailed 38-30 going into the locker room.

"They got seven offensive rebounds in the last four minutes," VCU coach Beth Cunningham said. "I wish halftime had come a little sooner."

ODU continued to peck away at VCU's advantage, with Jordan securing the first tie at 41 after a Walters steal. VCU went back up again and ODU forced a second tie at 45, but a lead escaped the Lady Monarchs, who came up empty on their next four possessions.

Finally, a falling down Jasmine Parker tossed in her only field goal of the afternoon, followed by the ensuing free throw, and Tiffany

Green dropped in two more to make it 50-45.

The Rams answered with the third and final tie when Krystal Vaughn's free throws knotted it at 50 with 7:18 left. But Jordan returned it ODU's way on the next possession, scoring on a three-point play. Jordan had 14 of her 15 points in the second half.

Jordan and Green were each nabbed for charges in the final

4:12, as twice the Rams crept within 3. But the comeback bid fell short when Vaughn was called for an intentional foul in her haste to grab Parker running up the floor.

With ODU finding yet another way to win a CAA tournament, the legendary streak that is the longest in its sport now carries over to the next class, something that wasn't lost on Green.

"This means a lot; it's a long streak," the junior said.

"I don't want to break it. We just have to keep it going."

Larry knows how valuable each of the championships is and said, "We don't have to talk about it. I have a ring box that's unbelievable. I take it into recruits' homes. I tell them, 'Don't come here unless you want to fight for one.'"

Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874, VickiL120@cox.net