THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501250592
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
For the last two weeks, Old Dominion has been wiping out opponents by 20 points or more. Tuesday, the Lady Monarchs got a taste of their own medicine.
Tennessee was too much on the perimeter, in the paint, and everywhere in between, and the No. 2-ranked Lady Vols turned in a masterful performance for a 77-54 win over Old Dominion before a sellout crowd of 4,855 at the field house.
``Old Dominion is a young team in a lot of respects, and we learned a lot tonight,'' coach Wendy Larry said of her Lady Monarchs. ``It's very evident that the University of Tennessee is a very talented team.''
If the game was a measuring stick for the Lady Monarchs, it showed that Old Dominion still has a way to go before it can compete against the nation's elite women's basketball teams. Tennessee just had too many weapons; the Lady Monarchs too few.
After taking a 13-point lead after the first half, Tennessee (18-1) proceeded to take over the post in the second.
Dana Johnson cleaned up inside against Esther Benjamin and Clarisse Machanguana, muscling her way inside for 11 second-half points.
``If you saw Esther and Clarisse in the locker room right now you'd think they fought World Wars I, II and III,'' Larry said.
A turnaround jumper by Benjamin at the 18:30 mark drew Old Dominion to within 12, 41-29, but that was as close as the Lady Monarchs would get.
Tennessee turned up the defensive pressure and held Old Dominion scoreless for the next six minutes, running the lead to a game-high 28 points at 57-29.
``We knew they were aggressive and had players that could penetrate,'' Lady Vols forward Nikki McCray said. ``In the first half we looked pretty good, but at times we broke down. I thought our defense really set the tone in the second half.''
Tennessee ``hustles more, they're a lot more physical, and they take care of the basketball better,'' said Lady Monarchs forward Sarah Willyerd, comparing the Lady Vols to ODU's Colonial Athletic Association conference foes.
``We probably had half the steals that we normally do,'' said Willyerd, who played all 40 minutes.
The Lady Vols were outrebounded for only the second time this season, as Old Dominion (15-3) grabbed 33 boards to Tennessee's 30. But ODU gave up season highs in first half points (38), field goals made (34), and field goal percentage (.557).
``We dominated on the offensive glass especially, but we didn't finish,'' Larry said. ``We had opportunities but didn't cash in on them.''
McCray led all scorers with 19 points, while Dana Johnson chipped in with 18.
Machanguana led ODU with 16 points, but only four of those were in the second half. Shonda Deberry added 13 and Willyerd had nine.
In the first half Tennessee started quickly, opening the game with a 10-2 run. Old Dominion fought back, as two baskets by Ticha Penicheiro and a layup by Machanguana off a Penicheiro bounce pass brought the Lady Monarchs within one, 12-11.
Early in the game, Old Dominion's strategy of taking away the post was successful. But as Tennessee, using a significant weight advantage across the frontline, wore down the Lady Monarchs with a pressure man-to-man defense, the Lady Vols found the lane beginning to open.
With the score 20-17, Tennessee went on an 11-2 run that chewed over five minutes off the clock and put Old Dominion in a hole that it simply could not climb out of.
``Since I got here I've heard about them and seen them on TV,'' Penicheiro, who came to Old Dominion this season from Portugal, said of the Tennessee mystique. ``It's a loss, but we'll take positive things from this game.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Tennessee guard Michelle Marciniak scrambles to control the ball
against ODU's Ticha Penicheiro. The Lady Vols had few other stumbles
Tuesday before a sellout crowd of 4,855 at the ODU field house.
by CNB