Lady Monarchs close season with a flourish

NORFOLK

It finally seemed like the good ol' days.

Tiffany Green and Jessica Canady each scored 16 points to lead six players in double figures as Old Dominion closed its regular season by sprinting past William and Mary 87-72 on Senior Night on Wednesday at the Constant Center.

The Lady Monarchs came in having lost three of their past four games and 7 of 10. But William and Mary hadn't beaten ODU since the 1975-76 season. And once again, the Tribe seemed to bring out the best in the Lady Monarchs.

Stagnant offensively of late, the Lady Monarchs (16-12, 11-7 CAA) unleashed a devastating transition game that wore the Tribe down.

"We're better when we're moving," ODU coach Wendy Larry said.

In addition, the missed layups that have become all too common with ODU were often gobbled back up by the relentless Lady Monarchs, who snagged 17 offensive boards in the second half alone.

The team's defensive intensity appeared to pick up as the game wore on. And the Lady Monarchs seemed determined to share the ball - ODU racked up 21 assists on 32 field goals, including eight from Jen Nuzzo.

"It's amazing what this team can do when it works together," Larry said.

The Tribe (13-16, 6-12) stayed with ODU much of the night. The game featured six ties and 13 lead changes. William and Mary actually led by a point at the half. And when Taysha Pye converted a fast-break layup with 10 minutes left, William and Mary seized a 61-57 advantage.

But instead of the second-half fades of late, the Lady Monarchs roared back. A 5-0 run capped by a Canady jumper after rebounding her own miss got ODU back in front. Virginia Beach's Tiffany Benson answered with a layup for the Tribe, but ODU countered with a 9-1 blitz highlighted by a Shadasia Green stickback with 5:09 left.

"We could tell they were getting tired," Nuzzo said. "So we just kept pushing it."

Pye finished with a game-high 26 points, 18 in the first half. Benson added 19 points and 13 rebounds. But Tribe coach Debbie Taylor bemoaned her team's inability to keep the Lady Monarchs in range down the stretch.

"We battled for 35 minutes, but then, basically, we quit," the coach said.

Mairi Buchan (12 points), Shadasia Green (11), Sierra Little (10) and Nuzzo (10) were ODU's other double-figure scorers. Canady had 10 rebounds to go with her 16 points. And Jazzmin Walters, who along with Tiffany Green and Nuzzo was honored in a post-game ceremony to fete the seniors, checked in with seven points, five rebounds and four assists.

Of course, no Lady Monarchs game this season would be complete without an injury. This time, Jasmine Parker logged just nine minutes before hobbling off the court with plantar fasciitis in her left foot. Larry said she hopes Parker can play through it during the postseason.

ODU will be the fourth seed in the CAA tournament and will play the winner between No. 12 George Mason and No. 5 UNC Wilmington at 2:30 p.m. March 13 at James Madison.

Larry and the players said they expect Wednesday's performance to energize the team in its quest for an 18th straight conference title.

"We want to prove to ourselves and to everyone else that, through all our bumps and bruises, we still want to prevail," Nuzzo said.

Added Canady: "We plan on defending our crown. I mean, who wants to give up their crown?"