Norfolk, VA (Jan. 18) ? First-place Old Dominion came from behind to defeat Georgia State, 62-46, in a game much closer than the score indicated in a Colonial Athletic Association Sunday afternoon at the Constant Convocation Center.
Georgia State (9-6, 2-3) led at halftime, 24-23, was leading 37-34 with 11:15 and was still tied at 39 with 8:35 left. But, foul troubles and mistakes cost their Panthers a chance for an upset. ODU led 46-41 with five minutes left when they took full control. ODU outscored State 16-5 over the final five and a half minutes. The game had 10 ties and 10 lead changes.
Sophomore forward Chandra Harris led State with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Brittany Hollins had 10 points, five rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocked shots. The Panthers were hurt most when point guard Crystal Johnson got two fouls in the first half and left with State up eight with six minutes in that half. Then, Johnson picked up her fourth foul just four minutes into the second half and couldn't be as effective on either end of the court. Back-up point guard Monica Mann had season-ending knee surgery on Wednesday. Leading scorer and rebounder Danyiell McKeller missed the game with a knee injury and watched from the bench.
Old Dominion (10-5, 5-0) was sparked by guard Jazzmin Walters' 18 points, 11 in the second half, and five assists. Tiffany Green added 11 points and 12 rebounds. ODU was without several starters for this game as well, but got Walters back after she missed Thursday's game.
“We had an opportunity to come away with a win today but you have to play a full 40 minutes with the best you've got to beat a team like ODU at home,” Coach Lea Henry noted. “I think we kind of did what we wanted in the first half, but then they did what they needed late in the second half. The turning point was the foul trouble on our point guard.”
At the start, visiting Georgia State jumped out to quick 4-2 and then 8-5 leads in the first eight minutes. ODU came back to tie at 12 at 9:23 on a trey by Jen Nuzzo. State then went on a quick 8-0 sparked by Brittany Hollins, who hit three baskets to make it 20-12 at 6:00. But, two State starters, PG Crystal Johnson and F Dana Olsen were both on the bench with two fouls as Coach Henry did not want them to risk picking up their third in the first half. ODU spurted back with its 8-0 run to tie it again at 20 with 1:35 on a follow-up basket by Jazzmin Walters. State's Jylisa Williams answered on the next possession to put State back up 22-20 at 1:15. A Walters' trey put ODU up 23-22 with 50 seconds. State's Williams knocked down two free throws on a 1-and-1 with 25.5 seconds to give the Panthers the halftime lead at 24-23.
Georgia State will play on Thursday night at Towson University in Baltimore, Md., with a 7 p.m. tip time on WRAS-FM (88.5) radio.
