Box Score
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Despite four players scoring in double figures, the Davidson women's basketball team was done in by a 15-for-27 shooting performance by the Chattanooga Mocs from behind the arc as the Wildcats school record 10-game winning streak was snapped in an 89-76 loss on Education Day at Belk Arena on Jan. 8. The Wildcats dropped their 15th straight decision to
Chattanooga and fell to 13-3 overall, while suffering their first league loss in five games.
Chattanooga, who had five players score in double digits, won for the eighth time in the past nine contests to improve to 11-5 overall and are tied with Davidson for first in the league with a record of 4-1.
Over 1,000 students and teachers were in attendance as part of the Education Day, a promotion put together by the Davidson marketing department. Before the game, the students were treated to a few classes in the athletic department and a feel of what college life is all about.
The 15 three-pointers by
Chattanooga matched a school record and set a conference mark. Jenaya Wade-Fray's led the three-point barrage with a perfect 5-of-5 showing from behind the arc for 15 points off the bench. Alex Anderson had her ninth double-double of the year with a game-high 23 points and 10 boards. Laura Hall and Brooke Hand combined to go 7-for-13 from downtown and finished with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Kristen Spann was the fifth player in double figures with 12 points, while pulling down nine rebounds. The Mocs shot 51.7 percent from the field for the game, including 58 percent in the first half.
Sophomore Mercedes Robinson (Mansfield, Texas) led the charge for Davidson, registering her second career double-double and the Wildcats third of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds in her first career start in place of injured senior Brynn Kelly (Spokane, Wash.). The 12 rebounds matched her career-high as she hauled in six on each end of the court. Senior Tia Washington (
Charlotte, N.C.) led the Wildcats with a season-high 14 points and pulled down a season-best tying seven rebounds.
Chattanooga quickly raced out of the gates by stroking it from downtown. Coming into the game hitting nearly 34 percent of their three-balls, the Lady Mocs drained six of their first eight shots from downtown, including back-to-back ones by Hall, and Davidson found itself down 28-16 with 10:27 left in the half. Eight of the Mocs' first 11 makes overall were netted from downtown as
Chattanooga finished 11-of-18 from the behind arc in the first half.
Davidson never got closer than 11 points on a layup by junior Danielle Hemerka (
Blackwood, N.J.) at the 7:21 mark in the first stanza and went into halftime trailing 50-35.
After Chattanooga took a brief 19-point lead, the Wildcats used a quick 7-2 run capped off by a jumper from Washington and a layup on the right side from sophomore Mandy Halbersleben (
Maineville, Ohio) to bring Davidson within 12 at 60-48 at the 13:36 mark. Halbersleben had a career game off the bench, finishing with a career-best 12 points on a career-high 6-of-7 shooting from the field in 19 minutes of action.
Unfortunately, it was as close as Davidson got the rest of the game as
Chattanooga led by as many as 23 points on its way to the 89-76 win.
Davidson did outscore
Chattanooga in the paint, 38-20, and got 27 of its points from the bench. Sophomore Kelly Gassie was the fourth Wildcat to finish with at least 10 points, closing out the contest 4-of-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe for an eve 10 points.
The Wildcats will now hit the road for its next two contests, starting with a Jan. 13th trip to Statesboro, Ga. for a battle against
Georgia Southern. Davidson swept its two-game series against the Eagles last season. Gametime is set for 5 p.m.
