Walters, ODU top Virginia

NORFOLK — Debbie Ryan’s worst fears became a reality.

Just four days after a thrilling upset over vaunted Tennessee, the Virginia women’s basketball coach watched as her team paid the ultimate price against a hungry opponent looking to rebound.

Old Dominion took full advantage of the Cavaliers’ sloppy performance and foul trouble woes, beating No. 16 Virginia 78-70 in front of a rowdy crowd of 5,016 at the Ted Constant Center.

The 25th-ranked Monarchs (3-1) took their first lead 86 seconds into the contest and never relinquished the advantage in a rematch of Virginia’s season-ending overtime loss in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“I felt like Old Dominion, coming off the loss, was very prepared today and was out to prove something — and they did,” Ryan said. “With my team it was a stark contrast from Monday night to tonight, and hard to explain, and yet being a veteran coach it is very explainable.”

Old Dominion’s players, having been whipped by 34 points at No. 14 Texas on Monday, echoed Ryan’s sentiments about coming out to prove a point against another ranked opponent.

“Did it look like it?” said ODU center Tiffany Green, who scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked six shots. “We had to bring it back from Texas. It is kind of like a repeat [of last season].

“We went in with the same mind frame. We were focused and we did a good job on our free throws.”

In fact, ODU hit 30 of 40 free throws in the contest and got several Virginia players in early foul trouble, including center Aisha Mohammed, who was limited to just seven minutes in the opening half.

“We put them at the free throw line for 30 points,” Ryan said. “That was a big difference in the game.”

Despite their poor play in the opening half — UVa trailed 33-25 at halftime — the Cavaliers had numerous scoring sprees in the second half. Yet each time Virginia made the contest a one possession affair, ODU answered.

Virginia’s best chance came after Monica Wright hit a 3-pointer with 1:27 left, trimming ODU’s advantage to 71-68.

But after Green missed a jumper with 1:01 left, Jazzmin Walters collected an offensive rebound and was fouled with 48 seconds left when she drove to the basket by Mohammed.

“The funny about it was when we got within three that we would use that next possession to either tie or get within one. Then you are in a ballgame,” Ryan said. “We just didn’t have it. We were making decisions like I have never seen us make before, even in practice.”

For the game, Virginia had 21 turnovers, which accounted for 22 of the Monarchs’ points.

The Cavaliers, which dressed just 10 players — four of which were freshmen — also struggled to slow Walters, who scored a game-high 24 points, as the point guard operated Old Dominion’s offense on the perimeter.

“We weren’t playing the pick-and-roll very well. We played it well in the first half but in the second half we didn’t have the legs,” Ryan said. “I had to stop trapping because to me it looked like we were tired. “Some people were in foul trouble so I had to go with what we had.”

Wright, after scoring 35 points against Tennessee, struggled to get on track offensively. The junior finished with 23 points, but made just one of her nine 3-point attempts.

Virginia did get 16 points from rookie Chelsea Shine, who also added a team-high eight rebounds. The freshman scored eight points in each half.

The Cavaliers, who shot 43.1 percent from the field, return to action Monday at home against Colorado (2-0) at 7 p.m.