George Washington University Athletics
Longtime Mid-Major Powers GW, Old Dominion Clash Wednesday
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2010
GW Notes at Old Dominion 
| | Live Video
NORFOLK, VA - George Washington and Old Dominion, two of the most historically successful mid-major programs in women's basketball, meet for the fifth-ever time Wednesday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, VA. The Colonials, who have made 18 postseason appearances over the last 20 years, and Lady Monarchs, who have made 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament since 1982, last met in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
GW (4-3) won for the fourth time in its last five games and stayed unbeaten at home with a 67-58 victory over George Mason at Charles E. Smith Center Sunday. The Colonials shot 63.6 percent in the second half to turn a 30-17 halftime deficit into a nine-point victory. Juniors Tiana Myers and Kye Allums and sophomore Danni Jackson combined for 37 of GW's 50 second-half points to help the host Colonials post the 22-point turnaround. Myers finished with a team-high 18 points, followed by 16 from Jackson and 10 from Allums.
Wednesday's contest marks GW's fourth game in eight days and is part of stretches of five games in 11 days and seven games in 18 days prior to a 10-day layoff for the Christmas holiday. Ivy Abiona (36.3 mpg), Danni Jackson (35.3) and Tara Booker (32.3) have averaged more than 30 minutes per game over the last three games.
GW and ODU last met in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament's Cleveland Regional at the Constant Center, with the Colonials coming away with an 87-72 victory to advance to a second round matchup against Tennessee. Six players reached double-figures, led by Sarah-Jo Lawrence's 20 points, and GW shot 58 percent from the floor in a contest the Colonials led by 22 points in the first half. GW went on to lose to Tennessee, 66-53, in the second round. Current GW head coach Mike Bozeman was in his first season as an assistant coach for the Colonials during the NCAA run.
Old Dominion (3-3) has dropped two straight games and three of its last four to fall to 3-3 on the year, but has faced the 15th most-difficult schedule so far this season according to CollegeRPI.com. The Lady Monarchs are coming off a 74-44 loss to #9/8 Tennessee in front of a Ted Constant Convocation Center record women's basketball crowd of 7,774 on Sunday.
Senior guard Jasmine Parker, who paces the Lady Monarchs with 16.2 points per game and 4.0 assists per game, became the 28th ODU player to reach 1,000 career points with a game-high 16 in Sunday's loss to the Lady Volunteers. Parker, who also ranks 24th nationally with 3.3 steals per game, enters Wednesday's contest with 1,001 career points.
ODU is 3-1 this season at the Constant Center, where it's averaging better than 4,100 fans per game. The Lady Monarchs opened the season with back-to-back home wins over Georgia Tech and North Carolina A&T, then bounced back from a road loss at North Carolina State with a home victory over Louisville.
Old Dominion has shut down its opponents on the perimeter early this season, ranking second nationally in three-point field goal defense (19.0%). Opponents are shooting 50 percent (129-258) inside the arc against the Lady Monarchs.
