WBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[baller116]

Who or what do you guys think will be the big story in the final third of the year?

I think RMC will be the big surprise. Yea it was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the jackets but I still think they will come out on top. Being the underdogs this year might give them an advantage in the ODAC tournament without the bulls eye on them like the years in the past.

[GeneralFan]

I would propose that one of the big stories of the remaining season is finding out who in the middle of the pack will lead the way and grab those pivotal #4 and #5 spots. Moreover, I, like I'm sure many among you, are still trying to figure the enigma that is Roanoke College. It's not much of an enigma if Erin Hanson doesn't put in 20 points a night though..

Just running this by people who are much more intelligent than I:

VA Wes loses to Bridgewater
Bridgewater loses to Roanoke.
Roanoke loses to Randolph-Macon Woman's College
Randolph-Macon Woman's College loses to Hollins

Is Hollins in first place? I think that's right....

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Since we're just past the midway point of the conference season, who do you all think is the best team and who has deserved all-odac first and second team recognition?

Here's my take...

Best team - How can you not go with VWC?  Since their only ODAC loss (on the road at BC), they've reeled off 11 straight conference wins by an average of 29.8 points. BC's only two losses were to W&L and RC, while VWC is a combined 4-0 against those squads. The Marlins lead the conference in scoring (73.9), but have no player averaging in double digits. That's balance.

All-ODAC first team
Erin Hanson, Roanoke
Jessica Hunsinger, Washington & Lee
Nicole Thurston, Virginia Wesleyan
Caroline Wesley, Lynchburg
Katy Herr Lovell, Bridgewater

All-ODAC second team
Carolyn Riley, Eastern Mennonite
Sara Rechnitzer, Randolph-Macon Woman's
Lindsay Riesbeck, Randolph-Macon
Molly Ariail, Randolph-Macon
Michelle Dove, Virginia Wesleyan

It's really tough choosing the second team ... BC and VWC both have a couple more players that are more than deserving, as well as the top players from teams like E&H and Guilford.

Anyway, just thought'd I'll see what people thought about the ODAC overall so far.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Matt, did you ever figure out where Katy Herr Lovell ranks at BC in the steal category?

Thanks to the sports info dept. at BC, they now list the career steals leaders at BC;

http://www.bridgewater.edu/index.php?id=1214

[odacbballfan]

Wow this is great some real conversation  . Lots of fun games left. EMU gets their first shot at the Marlins Tuesday. The Royals usually play VW tough, but the Marlins need to hold court at home. BC at Macon is a HUGE game. The winner stays at the most one game back of the top, the best the loser can hope is that VWC falls too. A split between the two schools really hurts them both in the regular season standings, assuming VWC wins at least the games they should. (I am trying to do the math here if Macon and BC split that will give them 3 losses each. That would mean VWC could stumble one more time and still remain in front) Not that any of this really matters because after what we have seen this season seeds for the tournament may not mean a thing.

Kid, I was very interested in your all ODAC teams. Even as a Marlin fan I think it is hard to put any VWC player on the first team for sure and maybe even the second team. Not that the Marlins don't have players with the talent to be mention, but the team is so balanced that picking one player over any other is nearly impossible. I think Thurston has had a great season and so has Dove, but looking down the roster so many players have made contributions to the success of the team that I think it is hard to reward just one (or two)

Looking at the marlins season stats no player is averaging double figure points (Jones 9.4 leads the way) 6 players averaging 20+ min and 5 others averaging 12+. 9 different players have lead the Marlins in scoring  in a single game including 7 different in the last 7 games. I didn't look at other teams I would be interested in seeing if any team is close to that. Let me know what you guys/gals find!

  TEAM CONVERSTAIONS HURRAY!!!

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

It's Separation Tuesday in the ODAC ... six of the top seven teams play one another:


No. 2 Bridgewater (9-2) at No. 3 Randolph-Macon (8-2)

No. 7 Washington & Lee (4-7) at No. 5 Guilford (6-5)

No. 4 Eastern Mennonite (7-3) at No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan (11-1)


Click on teams above for their school's webcast of the game.

Also, the EMU-VWC game will have live stats (click here).

[baller116]

wow what a night.... W&L over Guilford, EMU over VWC, and RMC over BC. This should certainly make things interesting..

[hoopstermom]

Just got back from RMC-BC game.  BRUTAL!!  48 fouls...and they were only the ones that were called.   Childs and Henderson fouled out for BC and Riesbeck and Ariail fouled out for RMC. [Ariail fouled out with only 11 minutes of play!]

RMC hit only 2 of 7 FTs in the 1st half, but hit 18 of 22  FTs in 2nd half.

I know early posts included comments about the level of contribution that Morgan  makes to RMC team, but she played a tremendous game tonight sticking to Herr-Lovell like glue and holding her to under 10 points.

BC killed RMC on the boards getting shot after shot on the offensive end as well as often holding RMC to one shot at the other end.

Ball movement and patience kept RMC in the game and their free throw shooting won it for them.

I'd say there are no easy games left on the schedule for any ODAC team the rest of the year given tonights results across the conference.

[odacbballfan]

Marlins shoot 1-22 from 3 point range. Got a huge night from Thurston but didnt knock down ANY shots from the outside. EMU looked like they frustrated VWC some with thier pressure. A good win for the royals and WOW wide open now!

[valleybballfan]

I also just got back from the BC vs. RMC game, and I thought Morgan did decent, but I also thought Katy did not have much help. She could have had a lot more assists if BC weren't in such a slump shooting. Katy got by Morgan a good number of times and delivered good passes to her teammates, who just couldn't finish.

I was talking with a father of one of the freshmen on the Eagles' squad the other day who goes to all the games, and he said no one has been playing very good at all except for Katy. She has been the only steady factor. She has also been in a shooting slump like the rest of the team, but has continued to hustle, get rebounds, assists, steals, and contribute while some of the gals are just not playing good right now.

BC will have to turn it around if they want to do well after the regular season is over and done with.

I don't think any team in the ODAC stands out above the rest, it's all about who wants it more on a given night and who brings their A game.

[GAVA]

Just got back from RMC-BC game.  BRUTAL!!  48 fouls...and they were only the ones that were called.   Childs and Henderson fouled out for BC and Riesbeck and Ariail fouled out for RMC. [Ariail fouled out with only 11 minutes of play!]

RMC hit only 2 of 7 FTs in the 1st half, but hit 18 of 22  FTs in 2nd half.

I know early posts included comments about the level of contribution that Morgan  makes to RMC team, but she played a tremendous game tonight sticking to Herr-Lovell like glue and holding her to under 10 points.

I think the earlier posts were regarding Morgan's lack of offense not defense. Tonight she scored 1 point in 37 minutes. Certainly not the offensive threat at point guard that Silva was. Huge game for Reisbeck and Hiltunen with 23 and 22 points.  Bodes well for RMC this year and the next couple years to come.

[odac fan 4 life]

I know they said that coming into night Katy Herr Lovell needed only 2 points and 2 rebounds to break into the top 10 all time list for both of those categories at BC, and she did that tonight in the loss. She is also #1 in steals and #4 in assists, so congratulations to Katy on now ranking among the top 10 in all four of those categories.

(I hope that is okay to make a comment about an individual's achievement, I know this board is all about team now, just like the new NBA commercials, "it takes 5" I guess this board is caught up in that spirit )

[odac fan 4 life]

Now, a post about team.....

WOW! This league is wide open right now, and how about W&L! They are on a little bit of a streak themselves. I agree with valley, no one is that much better then anyone in this conference, it all depends on who shows up to play. I think it is still very much up in the air to who will finish first for the regular season.

BC is in a slump, but I have seem them play when they are not, and if they start playing the way they are capable of playing then watch out!

[odacbballfan]

Haha just to show i can.........

Thurston 17 points 13 rebounds, 5 blocks in 29 min.

Maybe I would put her on the all odac team kid...... 

[Old School Marlin]

Ugh, FIVE points, THREE points, ONE point!  Could these games be any more agonizing??!!  "A" game? - I'm not sure you'd call it that- that winning edge isn't anything super spectacular - but some of the underdogs are certainly getting the job done.  Some wake up calls for sure going into the final stretch.  Learn and move on and step up your game time!