THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602190135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Before a bunch of alumni Sunday afternoon at the ODU field house, the Lady Monarchs put on a show reminiscent of the university's glory days in women's basketball.
Looking as capable as any of the three teams that brought home national championship banners, eighth-ranked Old Dominion trounced Virginia Commonwealth 103-43.
``We play with anybody today,'' said an openly impressed ODU coach Wendy Larry, holding a stat sheet that would demoralize any opponent. The Lady Monarchs (21-2, 13-0 Colonial Athletic Association) outrebounded the Lady Rams 65-35, and limited VCU to an embarrassing 12-of-58 shooting effort while surpassing the century mark for the third time this season.
Everyone scored for ODU, and six players were in double figures, led by Shonda Deberry with a double-double: 20 points and 13 rebounds. To top it off were 11 blocks, 16 steals, and 27 VCU turnovers.
Sunday's show was the matinee for the alumni game that followed, and former players were interspersed throughout the gym. Among them was Angela Cotman, who starred on the 1980 national championship team.
``This is the first team I've seen outside of the three national championship teams that appears to be like the others in style and desire,'' said Cotman, now a systems analyst in Virginia Beach. ``Especially Ticha Penicheiro. She reminds me of Nancy (Lieberman).''
Lady Rams coach Peggy Sells shared the sentiment. The normally animated Sells, who received a technical during her team's 86-57 loss to ODU earlier this season, sat stoically for much of the game, her chin resting in her hands.
``We've played Western Kentucky, Oklahoma, Duke - none of them are as good as this Old Dominion team,'' she said. ``That's a team that could go to the Final Four or even win a national championship.''
Nyree Roberts scored eight of the first 12 points for the Lady Monarchs, who jumped out to a 28-11 lead and then launched a 19-0 run. By the time the half was over, they had tallied 57 points, their highest total of the year, and had limited VCU to five baskets from the field and 16 points.
The Lady Rams, looking frazzled behind their 18 percent shooting effort, missed even uncontested layups for fear of the block.
``They were truly thinking about what's coming over,'' Larry said. ``The intimidation factor was certainly to our advantage.''
The overmatched Lady Rams (12-11, 5-7) were unable to settle in to any kind of consistent game plan. First they opted to shut down ODU's inside game, but they didn't count on the ensuing parade of 3s from every direction. The Lady Monarchs hit eight from beyond the arc - one shy of the school record. Four were by Mery Andrade, two from Sarah Willyerd, one by Deberry and one by Aubrey Eblin.
``I think teams that play us now have to make a decision about whether they're going to play the circle or sag down and play the paint,'' Larry said.
``Initially I think VCU decided they were really going to pack it in and then, when you open it up, Mery came out and shot the ball particularly well from 3. Shonda hit one, Sarah a couple. . . . When they extend the defense, the paint's scoring again. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.''
The curse continued in the second half, which the Lady Monarchs opened with an 18-1 run. Larry used the bench liberally, with all but two subs playing double minutes.
ODU's conquest of the CAA crown appears inevitable with three league games remaining, followed by the conference tournament, which begins March 6. Next up: a date with UNC-Wilmington on Friday, the team ODU walloped 103-22 the last time out. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia Commonwealth's Sarah Trayers lands atop Old Dominion's
Shonda Deberry while diving for a loose ball.
by CNB