Halfway through CAA schedule, Old Dominion Monarchs wear bullseye
Posted on February 7, 2008
Along Tobacco Road you can find two of the greatest dynasties in college sports.
When No. 2 Duke and No. 3 North Carolina played last night in men’s basketball, it was the sixth time the teams met with both squads ranked third or higher in the AP poll. Dick Vitale christened the occasion by returning from a hiatus of over two months after having throat surgery, and the two powerhouses faced off in what some consider the greatest rivalry in the sport.
But as powerful as both programs have been, they have traded conference supremacy throughout the years. The truest dynasty in college basketball is on the women’s side.
And it resides in Norfolk, where the Old Dominion Monarchs have won an NCAA-record 16 consecutive conference championships. The Monarchs joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 1991, and haven’t lost in the conference tournament. Ever.
That’s an impressive spin on a “Sweet 16.”
But James Madison made a statement last year when it beat ODU 79-50 at the Convocation Center on Feb. 1. While the Dukes lost at ODU three weeks later 57-62, their impressive win represented JMU’s largest margin of victory in the history of the series.
Of course, in the CAA tournament the Monarchs preserved their unbeaten mark, handling Madison 78-70 in the title game March 11, 2007. It was the second consecutive season that JMU beat ODU at home but lost on the road and in the CAA tournament final.
In the first meeting of the teams this season, it was unclear whether or not freshman point guard Dawn Evans was affected by a stress fracture that kept her out of the next four games, and JMU lost in a 57-82 rout. But since then the Dukes have won every game except a 60-61 overtime loss to Virginia Commonwealth, who is tied with JMU and Towson for second place in the conference.
No. 13 Old Dominion (18-3 overall, 9-0 in the conference) occupies first place, and the Monarchs visit JMU on March 2 in Madison’s last regular season home game. The contest will also be the last home game for Madison’s career scoring leader Tamera Young.
Attendance has averaged just 2,091 for the women at the Convocation Center this season, while the men are attracting an average of 3,657 a contest. Given the circumstances of the women’s regular season finale with ODU, attendance should be higher than both those numbers.
With nine games remaining on the conference schedule including today’s, there is plenty of time to maneuver into sole possession of second place, or even first. But either way, the road to No. 1 goes through Old Dominion.
JMU notched its fourth straight win Sunday at William & Mary, by a 69-53 margin. Young extended her school record of consecutive games scoring in double figures to 35, as she led JMU with 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting. Freshman point guard Dawn Evans played in her second game since her return from injury and scored eight points, making two of four 3-point attempts. She has made 36 of 117 attempts this season, attempting 52 more long-range shots than any other JMU player.
JMU (14-6, 7-2) travels to last-place Northeastern today, and faces Towson (15-5, 7-2) at the Convocation Center on Sunday.
Ultimately, the Dukes are aiming for their third consecutive CAA title game, and ODU is wearing the bullseye.
Matthew McGovern is a junior SMAD major with a concentration in corporate communication
