North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Old Dominion
Women's Basketball Falls To Old Dominion, 79-55
12/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2002
NORFOLK, Va. - Senior guard Okeisha Howard scored a season-high 20 points and added five assists on Monday night as the Old Dominion women's basketball team topped NC State 79-55 in non-conference action at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Redshirt-junior Terah James scored 14 points to lead the Pack, to go along with five defensive rebounds and two steals.
The win gives ODU their first back-to-back wins of the season and improves its record to 3-4 while NC State dropped back under .500 to 5-6 and had their two-game winning streak snapped.
Junior Myriah Spence and senior captain Kim Giddens also notched season-highs on the night with 17 and 10 points respectively. Redshirt junior Max Nhassengo provided a spark off the bench, just missing a double-double with nine points and 11 boards, with 10 coming off the defensive glass. She also dished out a career-high six assists.
NC State guard Kaayla Chones, who entered the evening as the team's leading scorer with an average of 18.5 points, was held under double digits for the first time this season, totaling only four first-half points. She did however record a season-high four blocks.
The Lady Monarchs outscored the Wolfpack 24-8 in the final 11:38 of the first half to take a commanding 35-18 lead in the locker room. No N.C. State player scored more than four points in the first 20 minutes as ODU held them to 27 percent (8-of-30) shooting. Howard had 15 first half points, going 3-of-4 from three-point land, including two in back-to back possessions to give ODU a nine point advantage, 25-16, at the 5:15 mark.
In the second half the Lady Monarchs continued their dominating performance, expanding their half time lead to as many as 27 points with just under eight minutes to play. The Wolfpack were able to mount a small comeback, but they were only able to get as close as 18 after a Terah James layup with 2:16 left. She finished with 14 points, five defensive rebounds and two steals. Senior Amelia Labador was the only other NC State player in double-figures with her 11 points. Junior Alvine Mendeng led all NC State rebounders with seven, including four offensive.
For the game ODU shot 48% (33-of-69) from field and a season-high 54% (7-of-13) from beyond the arc. Their seven three pointers, four by Howard, was also a season-best. NC State was held to its second-lowest point total in a half with just 18 after the first twenty minutes. The loss marked the largest point deficit between the two teams in head-to-head competition. The previous low was set in 1982, when NC State lost 87-64.
The Wolfpack finished the non-conference slate at 5-6 and will begin its ACC schedule when it hosts Maryland on Thursday, Jan. 2, 7 p.m.
Game Summary
1 2 F
NC State 18 37 55
Old Dominion 35 44 79
