So, how's my team doing?

A breakdown of how Virginia's Division I teams stand as we head down the home stretch of the 2014-15 season:

JMU

(20-2, 11-0)

RPI: 21
CAA standing: 1st
Remaining schedule: Thursday at Towson (10-14, 6-6); Sunday vs. Delaware (12-11, 7-5); Feb. 19 at UNCW (8-14, 4-7); Feb. 22 vs. Hofstra (14-9, 7-5); Feb. 27 vs. Northeastern (4-18, 1-11); Mar 1 at Delaware (12-11, 7-5); Mar 4 vs. Charleston (4-18, 2-9)

   - Let's see....the Dukes have a four-game lead with seven to play in a league where their average victory margin is 19.4 points. Let's just say we like their chances. Now, would the Dukes get an NCAA at-large bid if the hard-to-imagine happens and they don't win the CAA tourney? Tough to say. One might think a Top-25 RPI would make JMU a shoo-in, and the folks that do mock brackets seem to agree. But actual selection committees have historically placed a premium on wins over NCAA tournament-caliber teams, and frankly we're not sure we see even one such win for these Dukes. Fortunately for JMU fans, if the Dukes keep playing to the standard they've set so far, they'll take the decision out of the committee's hands.
   Star turns: CAA Preseason Player of the Year Precious Hall (21.0 ppg) has so much looked the part one tends to forget she averaged just 13.5 ppg last year. Lady Okafor (13.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg) and Muff Mickens (7.6 assists per game, third in Division I) are also on first-team All-CAA trajectories. The Colonial hasn't had three all-league first-teamers from one squad since the 1999-2000 season, when Lucienne Berthieu, Natalie Diaz and Hamchetou Maiga all made it from Old Dominion. Should it happen again, it would represent yet another parallel between this era's JMU and the Wendy Larry-led ODU dynasty.

Liberty 

(18-6, 14-1)

RPI: 91
Big South standing: 1st
Remaining schedule: Saturday at Presbyterian (12-12, 7-8); Feb. 17 at Longwood (3-21, 3-12); Feb. 21 vs. Charleston Southern (5-18, 1-13); Feb. 24 vs. Winthrop (13-10, 9-5); Feb. 28 at Campbell (14-9, 9-5)

   - The Lady Flames have a three-game lead on second-place Radford with five to play. Given that they've already swept the season series with Highlanders, this race is all but done. Clinching the regular season would guarantee Liberty at least a WNIT bid; last year the Lady Flames weren't invited to that tournament despite a 20-11 record and an RPI in the 130s. But it will be a major disappointment if this loaded Lady Flames team winds up in that tournament. Liberty will also be prohibitive favorites to win the league tournament and invite itself to the NCAAs. And given that this is an uncommonly deep team with oodles of weapons, the Lady Flames' fun might not stop with simply getting an invitation.
   Star turns: The Lady Flames' success has come in such a balanced fashion it's conceivable the team could win the league race by five games yet not place a single player on the All-Big South first team. Ashley Rininger and Karly Buer can make the best statistical cases, but everyone on this team sacrifices minutes/stats for the greater good. We hope folks have also taken notice of the much-improved Sadalia Ellis, who for stretches has looked like the best two-way guard in the entire conference.

Richmond 

(15-8, 7-3)

RPI: 93
Atlantic 10 standing: Tied for 4th (Duquesne)
Remaining schedule: Wednesday at Dayton (17-5, 8-2); Saturday vs. La Salle (12-11, 3-7); Feb. 18 at Duquesne (15-8, 7-3); Feb. 21 at St. Joseph's (8-14, 4-6); Feb. 26 vs. George Washington (21-2, 10-0); Mar 1 at VCU (5-6, 14-10)

   - A Top-4 seed in the A-10 tourney - and the double-bye that comes with it - is clearly within reach, but it won't come easily given a grueling closing stretch that begins tonight at Dayton. Nothing has come easily for these Spiders, and this won't either. Then again, any team that can spot its opponent the first 20 points and still win, as the Spiders did Saturday against Saint Louis, figures to be capable of just about anything.
   Star turns: Janelle Hubbard (15.8 ppg, 91.7 FT percentage), Lauren Tolson (14.4 ppg) and Gen Okoro (11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) have led the way, but no one player ever really goes off for this team. Like Liberty, the Spiders thrive through the collective strength of several.

Hampton 

(12-11, 8-2)

RPI: 96
MEAC standing: 1st
Remaining schedule: Monday at Morgan State (9-13, 6-4); Feb. 21 vs. Delaware State (5-17, 2-7); Feb. 23 vs. Coppin State (3-18, 2-8); Feb. 28 at Howard (3-20, 3-7); Mar 2 at Delaware State (5-17, 2-7); Mar 5 vs. Norfolk State (8-14, 7-4)

   - Two uncharacteristic stumbles aside, the Lady Pirates remain in their accustomed role as league frontrunner. It's going to be hard to move them off that spot, too, as of their remaining opponents only Morgan State and Norfolk State seem likely to provide anything more than token resistance. That Hampton-NSU season finale should be interesting, though. Brace yourselves, Spartans; we have a feeling the Lady Pirates will be just a bit focused for this contest.
   Star turns: The conference leader in points (21.9 ppg) and steals (3.7 spg), Malia Tate-DeFreitas is on the short list of MEAC Player of the Year contenders. Backcourt mate Kyani White is also making a push for All-MEAC honors, and the much-improved Ryan Jordan continues to a solid contributor.

Virginia 

(15-8, 5-5)

RPI: 97
ACC standing: Tied for 8th (Pittsburgh)
Remaining schedule: Thursday vs. Duke (18-6, 9-2); Sunday vs. Florida State (22-2, 9-1); Feb. 19 at Pittsburgh (15-8, 5-5); Feb. 22 at Virginia Tech (10-14, 1-10); Feb. 26 at North Carolina (19-5, 6-4); Mar 1 vs. Louisville (20-3, 8-2)

   - A year ago, the Cavaliers finished sub-.500 and even didn't qualify for the WNIT so it's definitely progress that this team is comfortably within range of a bid. That said, given the resources the school devotes to women's basketball, that's not the tournament this program shoots for. As we write this the Cavaliers have no NCAA tournament resume to speak of. But with four games against sure-fire NCAA qualifiers remaining - and the prospect for more in the ACC tournament - we may not have heard the last from the Cavaliers in this regard yet. Obviously the kickoff game of this stretch Thursday night against Duke is huge - here's hoping Cavs fans show up and do their part.
   Star turns: Faith Randolph ranks fifth in the ACC in scoring (16.9 ppg), Sarah Imovbioh is among the league's top rebounders, Breyana Mason has taken a big step forward as a sophomore and Mikayla Venson is an impact freshman with a big upside. Several nice pieces; just need one or two more.

VCU 

(14-10, 5-6)

RPI: 121
Atlantic 10 standing: 7th
Remaining schedule:  Saturday at George Mason (12-11, 4-6); Feb. 18 vs. George Washington (21-2, 10-0); Feb. 22 vs. UMass (8-14, 2-8); Feb. 25 at Davidson (5-19, 1-10); Mar 1 vs. Richmond (15-8, 7-3)

   - The Rams have lost three straight, but their RPI still has them on pace for an at-large WNIT bid (historically eligible teams with RPIs of 130 or better have gotten bids). The remaining schedule is also shaped to allow the Rams to establish some winning momentum heading into the A-10 tournament, particularly if they can close by avenging last week's loss to rival Richmond.
   Star turns: Adaeze Alaeze and Isis Thorpe have been key contributors.

Old Dominion 

(13-8, 6-4)

RPI: 135
Conference USA standing: 4th
Remaining schedule: Thursday vs. UTSA (11-12, 6-5); Saturday vs. UTEP (9-11, 4-7); Feb. 19 at Southern Miss (15-7, 8-3); Feb. 22 at Louisiana Tech (11-11, 6-5); Feb. 26 vs. Rice (7-14, 2-8); Feb. 28 vs. North Texas (3-18, 2-8); Mar 5 at Marshall (14-8, 6-5); Mar 7 at Western Kentucky (20-4, 9-2)

   - Last season, something clicked in for the Lady Monarchs in mid-February - they closed the season on a five-game winning streak, won their C-USA tourney opener and knocked off Navy in WNIT first round. They could use a similar surge now as for the third year in a row the team hits the business end of its schedule in a bit of a gray area in terms of at-large WNIT prospects. The good news is the schedule provides plenty of opportunities to enhance their status, and possibly even make a legitimate push for the conference title. League leaders Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State, while strong, have at least shown some vulnerability in conference play. And even if the Lady Monarchs can't catch those teams, hanging onto a Top-4 seed would put ODU on equal footing with the frontrunners in the conference tournament. The question is, can Old Dominion beat the caliber of team it'll need to beat to make a late run possible? To date, ODU's best RPI win came against VCU (121); 11 of the team's 13 wins have come against teams with RPIs of 176 or beyond - in other words, the bottom half of the Division I pool. We're not saying ODU isn't capable of beating teams in the RPI Top 100. They just haven't done it yet.
   Star turn: Jennie Simms, who lit up Florida International for 45 points a couple weeks ago, has been the focal point of the team all season and is a strong first-team All-C-USA candidate.

William and Mary

(11-12, 5-7)

RPI: 139
CAA standing: 7th
Remaining schedule: Friday vs. Delaware (12-11, 7-5); Sunday vs. Charleston (4-18, 2-9); Feb. 22 at Elon (14-8, 7-4); Feb. 26 at Charleston (4-18, 2-9); Mar 1 vs. Northeastern (4-18, 1-11); Mar 4 vs. Towson (10-14, 6-6)

    - If teams were ranked by how dramatically their contests unfold, the Tribe would be a Top-25 squad, maybe even Top-10. At this rate, we suspect Ed Swanson's hair to look like Steve Martin's by season's end. And things could get even more exciting if the Tribe can finish strong. A .500 or better final record could merit serious attention from the WNIT selection committee. It would also set them up as a dangerous CAA tournament team - especially if they can be in the opposite bracket of JMU. Of course, every team in the CAA wants that.
   Star turns: We're huge fans of Jazmen Boone, a high-motor/high IQ player whose impact on games extends far beyond what can be gleaned from a stat sheet. Also, the more we watch the Tribe, the more we notice how many good things sophomore Alexandra Masaquel does. Newcomers Jenna Green and Abby Rendle are building strong all-freshman team cases.

Radford 

(14-10, 11-4)

RPI: 189
Big South standing: 2nd
Remaining schedule: Saturday at Charleston Southern (5-18, 1-13); Feb. 17 at Winthrop (13-10, 9-5); Feb. 21 vs. Campbell (14-9, 9-5); Feb. 24 vs. UNC Asheville (7-17, 6-9); Feb. 28 at High Point (15-10, 11-5)

   - The youthful Highlanders, who went 5-15 in conference last year, already have more conference wins than any season since 2010-11. If they can hold onto second place, they can leave themselves in great position for at least a WNIT bid (if Liberty won the Big South tournament, the league's automatic WNIT slot would go to the next-highest regular-season finisher). They're also on pace to show up at that tournament with just as good a shot as anyone not named Liberty of taking the crown (actually, they gave Liberty all they could handle when the teams met the first time, although the Lady Flames rolled in the rematch). In short, the rebuilding of Radford isn't on schedule; it's ahead of schedule.
   Star turns: Radford's "A Team" - Aisha Foy and Ayana Avery - are on track for all-conference honors. Radford's "J Team" - Janalya White and Jayda Worthy - are top candidates for all-freshman recognition.

Virginia Tech

(10-14, 1-10)

RPI: 205
ACC standing: Tied for 13th (Wake Forest, Clemson)
Remaining schedule: Thursday at Pittsburgh (15-8, 5-5);Sunday vs. Syracuse (17-7, 7-4); Feb. 19 vs. Louisville (20-3, 8-2); Feb. 22 at Virginia (15-8, 5-5); Mar 1 at Boston College (10-13, 2-8)

   - The struggle to gain consistent ACC traction continues. In fact, this year it's actually been a bit harder to find. I mean, Tech's last two ACC seasons (4-14 two years ago, 4-12 last year) could hardly be classified as breakthroughs. But if you looked carefully enough you could detect small signs of improvement. This season, though, Tech seems to have ceded the modest ground it appeared to have gained gained relative to its ACC foes. But enough about what Tech hasn't done. With five games left, here's what the Hokies can do. Even the least-successful Tech teams in recent years have managed to play above themselves and knock off one power team, a Vanderbilt, a Maryland, a North Carolina, a Florida State. Such a feat is still out there for these Hokies. Also, Virginia Tech has lost 17 straight games to archrival Virginia, a stat that must gall Tech fans everywhere. Wouldn't it be something if, after so many setbacks, this was the team that finally snapped that streak?
   Star turns: Frankly, ACC play has been tough on most of the Hokies. Vanessa Panousis, Taijah Campbell and Sidney Cook have all had their moments, though.

George Mason 

(12-12, 4-7)

RPI: 216
Atlantic 10 standing: Tied for 8th (Saint Louis, St. Joseph's)
Remaining schedule: Saturday vs. VCU (14-10, 5-6); Feb. 18 at St. Joseph's (8-14, 4-6); Feb. 21 at Saint Louis (11-12, 4-6); Feb. 25 vs. Fordham (17-7, 9-2); Mar 1 at George Washington (21-2, 10-0)

   - Wednesday's 85-79 overtime loss at UMass, a game the Patriots at one point led by 12, had to sting. Still, by the standard of a 2013-14 season in which the Patriots won just one regular season conference game, this campaign is already a success. And the remaining schedule offers some realistic opportunities to make even more noise. Then there's this - No George Mason team has finished a season with a winning record since 2003-04. Even after Wednesday's setback, these Patriots have a legitimate chance of breaking that streak.
   Star turn: Taylor Brown is averaging a league-leading 20.6 ppg in Atlantic 10 play. Best of all, she's specialized in producing must-have points down the stretch, something she displayed yet again Wednesday when, with 26 seconds left, Brown drained a 3-pointer UMass knew she wanted to take to force overtime. At this point it's hard to see anyone except George Washington's Jonquel Jones taking A-10 Player of the Year honors. But even if the Patriots don't finish in the top half of the league, Brown should be an easy choice for the All-A-10 first team.

Norfolk State 

(8-14, 7-4)

RPI: 288
MEAC standing: 3rd
Remaining schedule: Saturday at Morgan State (9-13, 6-4); Feb. 21 at Coppin State (3-18, 2-8); Feb. 23 vs. Delaware State (5-17, 2-7); Mar 2 at Howard (3-20, 3-7); Mar 5 at Hampton (12-11, 8-2)
 
   - Considering this team had a 2-11 record when it tipped off at Florida A&M on Jan. 10, the fact that the Spartans are in nominal contention for a MEAC title ranks up there with the turnarounds at Radford and William and Mary among the most pleasant developments in the state this season. Realistically, the Spartans will be hard-pressed to catch a Hampton team that is two games ahead in the loss column. But the top three seeds in the MEAC tournament earn first-round byes. If the Spartans can get one of those, in a tournament being played a Cardale Jones throw from campus at the Norfolk Scope, well, who knows?
   Star turns: Like Hampton's Malia Tate-DeFreitas, NSU's Rae Corbo is having a MEAC Player of the Year-caliber season. Meanwhile, freshman Kayla Roberts, who had 26 points and 25 rebounds against Hampton, looks like the frontrunner for Freshman of the Year honors. Also, in MEAC-only games, Jazamine Gray leads the conference in assists (6.0 apg).

Longwood 

(3-22, 3-13)

RPI: 346
Big South standing: 10th
Remaining schedule: Saturday at Coastal Carolina (10-13, 4-10); Feb. 17 vs. Liberty (18-6, 14-1); Feb. 21 vs. Presbyterian (12-12, 7-8); Feb. 28 at Charleston Southern (5-18, 1-13)

   - Key injuries short-circuited Longwood's 2014-15 season just when it was getting started. Credit the remaining Lancers for hanging in there and making opponents earn whatever they get over the past several weeks. A healthy Longwood team will be a handful next season.
   Star turn: Quiet as it's kept, in Big South play Raven Williams ranks third in the conference in scoring (15.2 ppg) and minutes played (34.5), fourth in assists (3.31), sixth in free throw percentage (75.0), seventh in steals (2.13) and 10th in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. Other than that, opponents have pretty much held her in check.

Calling all Cavaliers for Payback Thursday vs. Duke

Calling all Cavaliers - your Virginia women's basketball team needs a signature victory on Thursday night.

And look who's coming to John Paul Arena.

That would be mighty Duke, sporting a No. 11 national ranking and and fresh off a 39-point spanking of didn't-know-what-hit-'em Clemson. A tall order, no question. But for a Virginia team running out of time to launch a serious push for ACC and NCAA tournament relevancy, the high-flying Blue Devils are hitting town at just the right time.

Now we know these Cavaliers will bring the effort and want-to. And of course, they'll always have Faith. But against a team of Duke's caliber, that may not be enough.

That's why we're calling all Cavaliers - the women's basketball fans, naturally, but the men's basketball and football faithful, too, the frat boys and sorority girls, leather-lunged children in and around Charlottesville, anyone with even a modicum of U.Va. loyalty - to show up loud and proud to put some wind at their Cavaliers' backs and make this Payback Thursday.

What's Payback Thursday? Well, remember football season? The Cavaliers were 4-2 heading into their showdown at Duke; they fell 20-13 (to a backup QB, no less) and finished the year 5-7 and out of the bowl game mix. Virginia fans can blame a lot of things for having to sit out yet another gridiron postseason. Why not blame Duke?

And Virginia's 21-1 men's basketball team; remember who dealt the Cavaliers that lone blemish, stealing victory with some unconscious 3-point shooting in the final minutes? When what looked for all the world like a glorious ESPN Gameday showcase morphed into simply another notch in Coach K's 1,000-notch belt?

Cavaliers fans, surely you don't want to see this ugly trend continue. To paraphrase the late, great Al Davis, this time Duke must go down, and Duke must go down hard.

Now, these Blue Devils won't rattle easily. But that doesn't mean thousands (and thousands! as the Rock might say) shouldn't come prepared to try and rattle them anyway. Of course, we don't advocate taunting; we'd like to think of fan interaction as more of a public service. See, JPJ is such a cozy, inviting venue the Blue may go through pre-game warmups feeling as though they're at home. But if thousands of fans unleash a double-barreled shot of boos so fierce it makes the blue hairs stand up on the back of their necks, well, shoot, that's not taunting. That's just letting 'em know that "hey, guys, this ain't Durham."

And suppose, say, Duke guard Ka'lia Johnson jacks up a shot that misses everyone, but she thinks it may have grazed the rim. If thousands of fans scream "Aiiiir-ballllllll!" well, shoot, that's not taunting. That's just helping the young lady out.

So scarf up those tickets, folks, and fill up JPJ Thursday night. Boyle's Brigade, Sarah's Soldiers, Faith's Faithful, call yourselves what you will. Just be there.

The women's basketball team needs to beat Duke. Virginia needs to beat Duke.

Help make it happen.

VCU, meet Richmond. Richmond, VCU. Now let's get it on!

Like superheroes, rivalry games deserve theme songs. With that in mind, this N'Sync classic - a bit of an oxymoron, sure, but bear with us - is as good as any for Wednesday night's VCU-Richmond showdown (7 p.m., Robins Center).

As we hit the halfway point in the Atlantic 10 schedule, both the fifth-place Spiders (13-8, 5-3) and sixth-place Rams (14-8, 5-4) are in hot pursuit of byes in next month's Atlantic 10 tournament, conveniently held once again at the Richmond Coliseum. The top four seeds begin tournament play in the quarterfinals, three games away from the title. Seeds 5-10 start out four games from glory while seeds 11-14 face an unlikely five-game trek.

Now, it's going to be tough to catch current league-leaders George Washington (19-2, 8-0) and Dayton (16-4, 7-1). But the Spiders and Rams don't have to. Securing Top-4 seeds would put them on equal tournament footing with the A-10 powers - with the bonus of hometown advantage - in the chase for A-10 supremacy and an NCAA tournament bid.

The hunt for a prime tournament spot continues tonight, and neither team has much margin for error. Tonight's game is particularly important to the home team Spiders as most realistic scenarios for success involve protecting home court and "stealing" a few on the road. Richmond has already lost one conference home game (a week ago vs. Dayton). A second conference home loss would be tough to overcome in the Top-4 race.

That said, VCU already has four conference losses so the Rams need this one badly, too.

Historical numbers often have little to do with the game in front of us. But these are kinda cool:

- The teams have met 70 times previously, with each team winning 35;

- Last year the teams played three times in three different venues (Robins Center, Siegel Center, Richmond Coliseum), with the Rams taking two of the three;

- As best we can determine, VCU's last victory in this series at the Robins Center came on Jan. 7, 2000.

And of course, intra-city bragging rights are on the line - at least until the teams meet again on March 1 at VCU.

Now if any of these subplots gives the players extra motivation - or teases fans to check this one out - great. But in terms of the prime importance of tonight's contest, well, take another look at the video above.

Justin Timberlake says it best.

Players to watch

RICHMOND: Janelle Hubbard is averaging a team-best 14.9 ppg while shooting 40.5 percent from 3 and knocking down nearly 90 percent of her free throws...A-10 Most Improved Player Award candidate Lauren Tolson may be averaging "only" 13.3 ppg, but every time we watch the Spiders she strokes it like Steph Curry...Liz ("Dirk") Brown can be a difference-making caliber shooter - when she remembers to pull the trigger. Let it fly, Liz!

VCU: Nice feature story in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch on homegirl Ashley Pegram on her convoluted-yet-rewarding journey to becoming a Ram...In addition to having one of the sport's most charming names, Adaeze "Dukes" Alaeze also has a major impact on winning - the Rams are 12-2 when she scores in double figures...Chadarryl Clay, a transfer from Auburn, is coming off a career-high 19-point effort in Saturday's 74-65 loss to La Salle.

ODU's Jennie Simms drops 45 on FIU

Darrick Simms saw it coming, sort of.

Through the magic of online viewing, Simms quickly detected the textbook shooting form and confidence off the dribble his daughter Jennie was dealing Florida International Thursday night in Miami.

"At halftime, I turned to my wife (Martina) and said, 'I think she may get 35 tonight," Papa Simms said.

Problem was, the Lady Monarchs needed more. So when 35 wasn't enough, Jennie kept firing, and the nets kept snapping. Remember Nolan Richardson's "40 minutes of hell?" Well, this was "40 minutes of heat." and when it was over ODU's new alpha-dog had blow-torched the Panthers for an eye-popping 45 points in the Lady Monarchs' 80-67 victory.

That's the second-highest total in the storied history of ODU women's basketball, trailing only Anne Donovan's 50-point performance against Norfolk State in 1980. Donovan wasn't in the house Thursday night, but ex-ODU great Ticha Penicheiro was. (Can you imagine how many Simms might have scored with an elite ball wizard like Ticha teeing her up?)

And as fate would have it, the Lady Monarch Simms edged out for the No. 2 spot, Inge Nissen, had one of the best seats in the joint - Nissen is now the head coach at FIU. So when Nissen, who once dropped 42 on Radford in 1979, clasped Simms' hand and said "great game," she was one of the few people that truly understood just how great a game it was.

Of course, we suspect she was also wondering why Simms couldn't have saved this scoring avalanche for Florida Atlantic.

Ironically, Simms, whose previous career high was 26 points, had been battling flu-like symptons for about a week and a half and said she didn't feel completely like her ol' self until Wednesday, the day before she lit up FIU. The Accokeek, Md. native was also as humble after the game and she was hot during it, saying that she wasn't keeping track of her total, got just as much satisfaction from dishing out an assist as she did from nailing a jumper and was simply providing what the team needed.

Fortunately for the Lady Monarchs - not to mention the school's record book - her teammates knew what was up and spent the game not just feeding Simms the ball, but also encouragement.

"They were like, 'Go for 30!' Simms said with a laugh. "And then, 'Go for 40!' "

During a late-game timeout, freshman forward Maia Lee upped the ante even more,

"Go for 50!" Lee exhorted.

Alas, time ran out before Simms could service Lee's request. Still, the 45 points were more than enough to link the 2014-15 Lady Monarchs with the great players and teams in the program's history. It also gave this year's team its first real needle-moving achievement, something that not just pleases the diehards but also gets casual fans on and around campus to go "Wow!"

To this point words like "solid" and "competent" and "gritty" best describe the Lady Monarchs (12-7), which are fine attributes but not the kind that typically rev up a fan base. In a way, going to ODU games this season has kind of been like visiting Cold Stone and ordering vanilla ice cream with no mix-ins. Tastes fine, but you kind of wish there was more to it.

But when, during a men's game timeout, PA announcer Jack Ankerson barked out that Simms led an ODU women's hoops victory with 45 points, the Constant Center crowd went "Oooooooh!" and a jolt of electricity shot through the place. It wasn't the first time an ODU women's victory was announced during a men's basketball game. It was the first time the news was greeted as though it was a really big deal.

Of course, Simms won't score 45 every night (right?). But the possibility that something special might happen at an ODU women's game, well, we're not sure people felt that before.

They'll feel it now.

Back at the Maryland homestead, the first thing Darrick and Martina Simms did after their daughter's epic performance was pray. Then they acted exactly the way the rest of us would if our kid had just scored more points in a victory than any other Division I player this season.

"We were running around the house, slapping five, acting like fools," Darrick Simms said. "Then we started calling relatives, but most of them already knew. You're just so proud."

They then waited for Jennie's usual call.

"Hello, parents," Jennie, the coolest customer in all this, began.

"We just started screaming," Darrick said. "And she started laughing."

What will Simms do for an encore Saturday at Florida Atlantic? If the redshirt sophomore has her way, it'll be nothing more or less than whatever's required for another victory. In other words, she's no Swaggy P. But after chatting with Darrick Simms, who played at the University of Virginia, breaks down the game like a coach and still works his daughter out, we suspect we haven't seen the last of monster scoring nights out of Jennie.

"In my opinion, she hasn't reached her ceiling as a player," he said.

In other words, Anne Donovan, your record's on the clock.

Former ODU guard Goodhope at VCU

Former Old Dominion guard Galaisha "GG" Goodhope is at Virginia Commonwealth.

The 5-5 junior, who was dismissed from the Lady Monarchs, will be eligible for the 2015-16 season. VCU coach Beth O'Boyle said the former Princess Anne High School star is practicing with the team.

"She's here; she joined our roster at semester," O'Boyle said. "She's obviously athletically talented and strong, and we're looking forward to having her on the team."

Goodhope, a top 100 recruit by ESPN, was named to the CAA's All-Rookie team as a freshman and averaged 8.1 ppg last year when she led the Lady Monarchs in assists (8.1). A biology major, Goodhope was also named to the Conference USA All-Academic team last year with a 3.75 GPA. She plans to attend medical school.

Wanna read more about the Rams? Check out our interview with O'Boyle later today.

Two-minute drill: Longwood's Autumn Childress

The Lancers promising freshmen talks about overcoming two knee injuries, poetry and piano. Listen close -- our sound quality wasn't the greatest -- but we promise you the 5-10 freshman guard is worth getting to know!

Also see:

Two-minute drill: George Mason's Taylor Brown

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liz Brown

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Kyla Kerstetter

Two-minute drill: James Madison's Lauren Okafor

Two-minute drill: Old Dominion's Jennie Simms

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Marlena Tremba
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Ashley Rininger

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Janelle Hubbard
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Gen Okoro
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Karly Buer
Two-minute drill: Longwood's Treasure Avery
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liv Healy
Two-minute drill: Norfolk State's Rae Corbo

Wanna nominate someone for Two-minute drill? Email us at ladyswishing@hotmail.com or tweet us @ladyswish

Two-minute drill: George Mason's Taylor Brown

The Atlantic 10's leading scorer promises she's calm when the ball is in her hands, talks about her two favorite pro players and tells us which Patriot can brag about her singing voice. Enjoy Taylor Brown, a redshirt junior averaging 22.8 ppg.

Taylor's family are regular fans in the stands.

See also:

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liz Brown

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Kyla Kerstetter

Two-minute drill: James Madison's Lauren Okafor

Two-minute drill: Old Dominion's Jennie Simms

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Marlena Tremba
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Ashley Rininger

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Janelle Hubbard
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Gen Okoro
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Karly Buer
Two-minute drill: Longwood's Treasure Avery
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liv Healy
Two-minute drill: Norfolk State's Rae Corbo

Wanna nominate someone for Two-minute drill? Email us at ladyswishing@hotmail.com or tweet us @ladyswish

JMU-Virginia-Liberty atop new LadySwish rankings

Three CAA Player of the Week awards for Lady Okafor.

The long-overdue LadySwish rankings at last:

1. James Madison (15-2)

No doubt about which team is the best in the state. Enough said.

2. Virginia (13-5)

Cavaliers have a daunting ACC slate ahead.

3. Liberty (12-5)

Karly Buer continues to be a great addition for the Lady Flames, winners of their last six.

4. Richmond (10-7)

Back-to-back overtime losses were painful along with dropping a two-point decision to Penn. Janelle Hubbard continues to play some of the best ball in the state, scoring double figures in her last six games including 15 treys.

5. Hampton (9-9)

Brutal nonconference behind them, it's all MEAC ahead for the five-time defending conference champions.

6. Old Dominion (10-6)

They snagged a pair in Texas, but have a home date with Middle Tennessee, winners of six of last seven, looming on Thursday.

7. George Mason (11-7)

Though no doubt disappointed by the loss at Richmond, Taylor Brown and company have to be happy about defeats of LaSalle and St. Bonaventure.

8. VCU (12-6)

Good ball by the Rams despite the recent loss to Fordham.

9.  Virginia Tech (9-10)

Hokies, who are still seeking first ACC win, have only won once on the road (Providence).

10. William and Mary (7-10)

Too many close ones have slipped away, but not Delaware!

11. Radford (8-9)

Highlanders have won five of their last six.

12. Norfolk State (6-11)

Rae Corbo, we're in awe. And Spartans, rallying from 19 down to beat preseason conference fave North Carolina A&T, we're doubly in awe. NSU is 5-1 in the MEAC.

13. Longwood (2-16)

Tough going for the Lancers continues.

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liz Brown

Did you see the game Richmond senior Liz Brown (15 points, 5 rebounds vs. George Mason) had on Sunday? We did and afterward the redshirt senior forward talked with us about her zany teammate Janelle, how much she misses her pup and an upcoming internship with one of basketball's all-time greats.


See also:

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Kyla Kerstetter

Two-minute drill: James Madison's Lauren Okafor

Two-minute drill: Old Dominion's Jennie Simms

Two-minute drill: William and Mary's Marlena Tremba
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Ashley Rininger

Two-minute drill: Richmond's Janelle Hubbard
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Gen Okoro
Two-minute drill: Liberty's Karly Buer
Two-minute drill: Longwood's Treasure Avery
Two-minute drill: Richmond's Liv Healy
Two-minute drill: Norfolk State's Rae Corbo

Wanna nominate someone for Two-minute drill? Email us at ladyswishing@hotmail.com or tweet us @ladyswish

Special shout out to George Mason's Taylor Brown

Great to see Taylor Brown's biggest fans at George Mason's game at Richmond on Sunday! Check out the custom t-shirts.