W. Basketball Takes Six-Game Win Streak to State of Washington
12/17/2006 12:14:08 PM | Women's Basketball
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Off to their best start in school history at 9-2, the Davidson women's basketball team will play in the state of Washington for the first time in program history tonight and Wednesday evening. The Wildcats will be looking to keep their sizzling start going as well as their six-game winning streak when they play at Eastern Washington in Cheney this evening and then at Gonzaga in Spokane on Wednesday. Both games are set to tip-off at 10 p.m. (EST). The six-game winning streak is the second longest in school history, one off the school record seven set in 1998-99.
Fresh off a 20-point win, its third of the year of 20 or more points, over Furman (75-55) on Friday, Dec. 15, Davidson has been hitting on all cylinders the last six games. They are averaging 76.5 ppg and shooting just over 50 percent during the streak. In addition, Davidson is allowing only 54 points a contest and have held three opponents to under 35.0 percent shooting from the floor.
The Wildcats are ranked in the top-50 in the nation in RPI according to collegerpi.com. They also are ranked in the top-50, statistically, in steals per game (16th) and assists per game (30th), while ranking just outside the top-50 in scoring (51st) and field goal percentage (51st).
Junior Danielle Hemerka (Blackwood, N.J.) recorded her third career double-double on Friday versus Furman with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Hemerka is also tops on the team in field goal percentage (52.9) and ranks third in the Southern Conference.
Redshirt junior Katie Hamilton (Lilburn, Ga.) and senior Jessica Mitchell (Wilkesboro, N.C.) continue to pace the team, both averaging in double figures. Hamilton is closing in on becoming the 10th player in program history to score 1,000 points, needing just 72 more for an even 1,000 for her career. Mitchell is coming off a week in which she was the SoCon Player of Week after tying her career-high in points with 23 against Charlotte. She and Hamilton each had 14 points to pace the Wildcats against Furman.
Eastern Washington (4-6) snapped its six-game losing streak on Friday with a 71-67 win over Northwestern State. Brittney Osborn tallied 17 points, marking the first time this season she has led the team in scoring.
Pacing the Eagles is Joanna Chadd with her 15.3 points per contest after averaging nine last year. She has been a threat from downtown, canning a team-best 26, while shooting 37.7 percent from behind the arc. Chadd also makes sure she connects on her free shots at the charity stripe, having missed only three (27-30) all year. Last season, Chadd was the Big Sky Co-Defensive MVP.
A member of the Big Sky conference, EWU returns seven of its nine letterwinners from a year ago and three of its five starters. The Eagles are coming off a 14-15 season and a 7-7 mark in league play.
Davidson's final opponent will be the Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-7) of the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs dropped a 75-60 decision to No. 21 Marquette on Sunday. They placed three players in double figures led by Stephanie Hawk's 15 points, but were held to 33.3 percent shooting, including 25 percent from downtown.
Gonzaga was 16-14 a year ago and finished tied for first in the WCC with an 11-3 league mark. The Bulldogs return only six of their 13 letterwinners from last season and two of the five starters.
Pacing GU is Hawk and Michelle Elliott with 13.9 and 12.8 point per game averages. Hawk is also pulling down a team-best six boards and has 28 blocks on the year. Elliott has started nine of the 14 games and has been a threat outside the arc, canning 25 three-pointers in 67 attempts.
GU and EWU faced each other on Dec. 9 with Gonzaga pulling out a thrilling 103-102 overtime win against the Eagles.
The trip is a special one for senior Brynn Kelly (Spokane, Wash.), who is a native of Spokane, Wash. She returns to her hometwon in her final year as a Wildcat with a 7.9 point per game average and is hauling in over five boards a game. The senior post player ranks 10th all-time with 449 total rebounds.
This will be the Wildcats first road trip since a season-long six-game trip after the first contest of the year. Davidson is sporting a 3-1 road mark, with its only blemish coming at nationally ranked Georgia.
