THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 11, 1996 TAG: 9603110132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The sixth-ranked Lady Monarchs must get through Charlottesville to get to Charlotte. Old Dominion (27-2), given a second seed in Sunday night's unveiling of the NCAA tournament bracket, was placed in the Eastern Regional in Charlottesville. The Final Four is in Charlotte, N.C.
But first the Lady Monarchs must win two games at home. As hosts of the first round, they will meet 15th-seeded Holy Cross (23-9) on Saturday. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Toledo-Mississippi game, which also will be played at the field house. Games times have not been announced.
``We're at home, that's the first step,'' said ODU coach Wendy Larry. ``We had a nice crowd for James Madison, and if we can put that kind of crowd in the field house, I expect our ladies will rise to the occasion.''
Larry refused to look ahead to the prospect of an Old Dominion-Virginia matchup in the Sweet 16. Virginia, a
No. 3 seed, hosts 14th-seeded Manhattan in the first round. The winner of that game then would face either George Washington or Maine. ODU could be next.
``I'm excited by having a very good seed,'' said ODU senior Sarah Willyerd. ``If and when we play Virginia, they better watch out. For a long time Virginia has only been associated with the University of Virginia. There's another basketball team in Virginia now.''
ODU and Virginia have not played since the 1990-91 season, although Cavaliers coach Debbie Ryan said she is familiar with the Lady Monarchs.
``They've been on TV a lot in this region,'' she said. ``Old Dominion is an extremely talented team, a good inside-outside team. But there's a lot of people in the way before we can think of that matchup.''
Virginia (23-6) has a 14-8 edge over the Lady Monarchs and has won the last two.
``I would definitely want to play them,'' said sophomore center Nyree Roberts. ``Everybody always says to me, `When are you playing Virginia?' And I say, `Well, they're not exactly on our schedule.' ''
In the top half of the regional are two teams ODU has already met: top-seeded Tennessee and No. 5 seed Texas. ODU crushed Texas 98-61 and fell to the Lady Vols 69-47, its last loss.
The CAA also will be represented by a second team - James Madison (21-8), which ODU beat 84-58 in Saturday's conference championship. JMU, seeded 13th, will meet No. 4 seed Duke in the first round.
``I think that's great for our conference,'' said Ticha Penicheiro. ``This conference has a reputation of being weak and now they have a 13th seed, which is not that bad.''
The Lady Monarchs learned their NCAA fate about a minute after the unveiling of the women's bracket, greeting the news with cheers and a team huddle during a pairings party at the ODU gym.
``What time is it? What time is it?'' Clarisse Machanguana repeatedly asked her teammates, whose response was ``Game time!''
That was followed by more cheers when ESPN analyst and former ODU star Nancy Lieberman-Cline picked the Lady Monarchs to advance to the Final Four.
But Larry, although excited, is also cautious. Florida International upset the Lady Monarchs 81-76 in the first round of last year's tournament.
Asked about the prospect of facing Virginia, all Larry would say is ``I'm looking forward to playing Holy Cross.'' ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Nicole Freudig, left, Amber Eller, Ticha Penicheiro, Mery Andrade
and Aubrey Eblin celebrate the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs' No. 2
Eastern Regional seeding in the NCAA women's tournament.
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