Old Dominion Women’s Basketball (14-5, 6-3 SBC) battled a tough and physical Georgia State team on Saturday at Chartway. The Panthers had a substantial size advantage in the paint, controlled the offensive boards and had no problem hitting the floor for a loose ball. But the Monarchs proved to be tougher, picking up their second straight win and gaining valuable ground in the Sun Belt standings.
En’Dya Buford, who had to be carried off the court on Thursday night, logged 29 minutes and didn’t seem to be slowed down at all. The Senior transfer from Jones College led all scorers with 18 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. Over the final 2:15, Buford knocked down 10 of 10 free throw attempts which sealed the game.
The Monarchs were a little slow out of the gate, falling behind the Panthers 6-2 with 7:20 to go in the first. Buckets from Jordan McLaughlin and Buford quickly tied the game and the teams exchanged the lead over the next few minutes.
With 3:22 left in the first, Nnenna Orji scored a layup in the paint on a pass from McLaughlin that put ODU ahead 12-10. The Monarchs would never trail again, despite multiple runs from GSU.
Early on, the officials seemed content to let the physical play go but they began to tighten the calls as the game went on. Three total technical fouls were issued and a few players headed to the bench banged up, including Halima Salat and Mikayla Brown
Old Dominion entered the fourth quarter with a tedious 49-41 lead, needing a small run to put Georgia State away. Kaye Clark and Mimi McCollister combined for six straight points, stretching the lead to 14 with 7:19 to play.
Once again, the Panthers refused to go away, chipping away at the lead until they pulled within five in the final minute.
The Monarchs were unphased, knocking down 6 of 6 free throws in the final 1:01, ending the game with 14 consecutive made free throws and coming away with the 73-65 victory.
ODU 39% (23-for-59) from the field, 13.3% (2-for-15) beyond the arc and 75.8% (25-for-33) at the charity stripe. GSU finished shooting 37.9% (25-for-66), 12.5% (2-for-16) from three and 59.1% (13-for-22) at the free throw line.
The Monarchs won despite losing the battle of the boards 43-42, including a 20-14 deficit on the offensive end.
Old Dominion looks ahead to another road trip, this their longest one of the season. The Monarchs take on Texas State in San Marcos on Wednesday at noon before heading to Jonesboro for a 1pm tip with Arkansas State.