THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010586
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
From the moment it was created, the Donna Doyle Scholarship Game has brought the elite of women's basketball to Old Dominion.
Since defeating Virginia Tech in the inaugural game during the 1974-75 season, the Lady Monarchs have hosted defending national champions in Immaculata, Delta State and UCLA.
Powerhouse programs such as Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and Texas have also played in the game. This year's opponent, North Carolina State, played in the fourth annual game and lost, 77-55. The teams will meet tonight at 7:35 in the ODU field house.
``It's obviously a very special event because Donna was so important to the credibility of the athletic department,'' said Lady Monarchs coach Wendy Larry, who as an ODU player scored seven points in the inaugural game. ``She set a precedent for women's sports and was a great role model.''
Donna Doyle Smith was the first woman to graduate with a degree in physical education from Old Dominion, then known as the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary. She lettered in basketball, field hockey, golf, and tennis during the 1950s.
After graduation, she devoted her life to the advancement of women's sports on every level, both at ODU and in Hampton Roads as coordinator of testing for the Norfolk public school system. She died of cancer in 1977.
After Doyle's death, her husband, Paul Smith, donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund, which in 1988 became the first fully endowed athletic scholarship at Old Dominion.
TAKE YOUR POST: With a surplus of guards and injuries to inside players Angie Liston and Jill Berg, ODU has been down a few post players. A few weeks ago, guard Stacey Himes was picked to play the post during practice, and she's been there ever since.
``I've never played it in my life. . . . I'm not very tall and I'm real weak, which is something I need to work on because I get pushed around a lot,'' said Himes, a 5-foot-10 sophomore. ``It's totally different than playing guard.''
Although Himes says that she ``doesn't have much of a body,'' she went toe-to-toe with UNC Wilmington's post players, who had a significant weight advantage. During the closing minutes of a 72-42 Lady Monarchs victory, Himes blocked a shot and used a nifty spin move in the lane to bring the entire ODU bench to its feet. by CNB