DATE: Saturday, March 22, 1997              TAG: 9703220567

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   29 lines

LADY MONARCH SNAPSHOT THE OUTSIDE VIEW OF THE OIODU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AS THEY BEGIN ROUND-OF-16 PLAY IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.

From THE SPORTING NEWS: As programs have come and gone through

women's basketball, Old Dominion, a school of 17,000 students, has

appeared in all but two of the 15 NCAA Tournaments, with a current

streak of five in a row. At a time when tradition is defined by the

current college athlete as what happened the year before, Monarch

players are steeped in the regal nature of their program.

NEW YORK NEWSDAY: It is a long way from Portugal to Norfolk, but

Ticha Penicheiro and her teammates - whether they hail from Portugal

or Jersey City, Mozambique or even nearby Maryland - want nothing

more than to add a fourth (national championship) flag to the

fraying collection. The last banner was hoisted in 1985. But hope

has returned.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Only in a glorified high school gym like the

ODU fieldhouse could (photos of former stars) peer down at the

action along with 4,855 fans, and if those icons could alter their

miens they would surely crack a smile, for the Lady Monarchs are

threatening again to be rulers of all distaff hoops.

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