Wayne’s season-high 24 points get Monarchs to their 4th straight win
Ajah Wayne scored a seasonhigh 24 points Sunday as the Old Dominion women extended their winning streak to four games by beating William & Mary 68-55 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg.
It was the 12th game in which Wayne scored at least 20 points but the first this season for ODU (6-2). The senior from Birmingham, Alabama, reached the 1,000point mark during ODU’s 3-0 stint at the Van Chancellor Classic in Katy, Texas, over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Sydney Wagner led W&M (4-4) with 13 points, hitting 5 of 10 fieldgoal attempts. Kate Sramac added 11 points and seven rebounds, and former Hampton High standout Dani McTeer had 10 points and eight rebounds. W&M hit all 16 of its free throws, including six apiece by Sramac and Ruthie Montella, but suffered its first home loss in four games.
With W&M ahead 8-6, Wayne’s layup and two baskets by Kaye Clark gave ODU a 12-8 edge, and the Monarchs never relinquished the lead. They extended it to 42-29 on a Wayne 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.
ODU was ahead by double digits throughout the second half, though William & Mary ran off 13 consecutive points to cut a 23-point deficit to 58-48 with 7:20 remaining on two Montella free throws.
Two foul shots by Wayne at the 5:16 mark before an 8-0 ODU surge that ended the Tribe’s upset hopes. The Monarchs are 60-7 all-time against W&M and have won four in a row in the series.
ODU will play host to Division II Bowie State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and to Norfolk State at 2 p.m. Dec. 12 for its final non-Conference USA home game.
W&M also will return to play Wednesday, traveling to Hampton for a 7 p.m. clash.