ODU women’s basketball routs Wagner in home opener

Jennie Simms scored 27 points to lead the Old Dominion women’s basketball team over Wagner, 71-57, on Sunday at the Ted Constant Center.

ODU (1-1) extended its home winning streak to five games, while also earning its 998th victory in program history. Simms also added eight rebounds and a game-high six assists. Annika Holopainen finished second on the team in scoring with nine points, while Destinee Young added seven points, eight rebounds and three assists.

The first quarter proved to be a back and forth battle with the lead changing five times. The Lady Monarchs closed the final two minutes with five unanswered points and forced two Wagner (0-2) turnovers to hold the slight 18-17 lead over the Seahawks after the first 10-minute period. ODU dominated inside the paint, outscoring the Seahawks 10-4.

The Lady Monarchs continued their run at the start of the second quarter with a 10-4 spurt over a span of 6:10. ODU picked up the defensive pressure as well and forced Wagner into eight turnovers and a dismal 2-for-13 showing from the floor, holding the 32-23 advantage at halftime.

In the third quarter, ODU continued its momentum from the second quarter, outscoring Wagner, 20-13, and giving the team a 16-point lead heading into the fourth. The Seahawks then were unable to close the gap to within 10 points for the remainder of the contest.

Overall, the Lady Monarchs shot 39.7 percent from the field, including a 40.0 percent clip from beyond the arc. Defensively, ODU also forced 23 turnovers, led by Young who tallied two blocks and three steals.

Jasmine Nwajei led Wagner in scoring with 24 points, while Jackie Dluhi added 13 points.

NEXT UP FOR ODU
The Lady Monarchs have another quick turnaround, as they return to the Ted Constant Center on Tuesday to take on the Miami Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. The contest will be streamed live though Monarch Media and broadcast on ESPN 94.1 FM.

Eight Hurricanes are back from a team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15. That group includes a trio of starters who are now the team captains: junior guard Adrienne Motley, a Preseason All-ACC selection, junior guard Jessica Thomas and redshirt senior guard Michelle Woods. Miami began the regular season with an 80-67 home victory over Wright State, charging back after falling behind 17-4 and outscoring the Raiders by 26 the rest of the way. Four Hurricanes netted over a dozen points, led by 17 from Thomas.

Be sure to follow ODU Women’s Basketball at @ODUWBB on Twitter and Instagram (@oduwbasketball) and ‘Like’ the ODU Lady Monarch Basketball on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and coverage.