HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (ODUSports.com) – The Old Dominion (23-4, 13-2 C-USA) women's basketball team bounced back to a 64-54 win over the Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon. Victoria Morris led all scorers with 18 points, going 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
"I thought we came out with good energy, which was really good to see, especially after an emotional loss against Charlotte," explained head coach Nikki McCray. "An area we need to get better at is the mental part. We're going to play hard but we need to get smarter. Marshall capitalized off our mistakes."
In a game where the Monarchs never trailed, ODU opened the contest outscoring Marshall 18-7. The ODU defense held Marshall to 15 percent, going 2-for-13 from the field. Morris drained two triples and two free throws in the first quarter while grabbing three rebounds. ODU picked up right where it left off in the second quarter, this time shooting 43 percent to its 35 percent first quarter. Aziah Hudson drained two triples, while Morris contributed one more trey before hitting the locker room. Sophomore Amari Young also added eight points in the first half, going 3-for-7 from the field. The Monarchs went into the break with a 36-22 lead.
In the second half, Marshall (11-15, 6-9 C-USA) outscored the Monarchs 32-28, at one point clawing back to a seven-point deficit. After coming out of the locker room, ODU took a 22-point lead with 6:45 left in the third. Heading into the final frame, the Monarchs led 52-34. Midway through the fourth quarter, ODU turned the ball over two times and fouled four times, which led to Herd scoring. The Monarchs hung on after Marshall went on an 11-2 scoring run with under two minutes left in the contest.
"I thought it was key to take charge. It was what we talked about. We needed to go back to what we do, which is defend and rebound. We dominated the boards, which was really good to see. We just need to be smart. We turned the ball over when it was crucial down the stretch and we just can't do those things."
Overall, ODU held its 18th opponent this season to below 40 percent from the field. Three Monarchs in Morris, Edwards and Young recorded double digit performances en route to the Monarchs 23rd win. Young was one rebound shy of a double-double, while Morris and Edwards were two boards short of a double-double. ODU and Rice currently sit tied atop the league standings.
Up Next
ODU will host Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, February 26 for a 6:30 PM tip.
