'Cats Opens SoCon Play With Win, Robinson's Double-Double Leads Way

Thursday, November 29

Davidson, N.C.

7 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

Ga. Southern

For the Third Straight contest Robinson led the team in scoring on her way to her third double-double of the season.

'Cats Opens SoCon Play With Win, Robinson's Double-Double Leads Way

11/29/2007 8:56:37 PM | Women's Basketball

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Led by junior Mercedes Robinson's (Baltimore, Md.) third straight double-double, and sixth of her career, the Wildcat women's basketball team scored a 62-56 Southern Conference win over Georgia Southern in both teams SoCon openers on Thursday at Belk Arena. Davidson improved 3-2 on the season and started SoCon play 1-0 for the second straight season, while GSU fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in league play.

The win was Davidson's ninth straight against the Eagles dating back to January 3, 2004. In addition, head coach Annette Watts tied John Filar for most wins in program history with 102 career victories and needs just one more to become the all-time winningest coach.

For the third straight contest, Robinson led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points and paced the team with 11 rebounds on her way to her third straight double-double. The junior went 6-of-10 from the field and nailed three of her four free throw attempts. During the three-game double-double streak, Robinson is averaging 16.6 points per game and hauling in an even 11 boards.

Robinson connected on a big three-point play in the second half when the Eagles had cut the Wildcats' lead from 33-20 to 37-34 with a 14-4 run with 14:12 left in the game. After sophomore Alex Thompson (Asheville, N.C.) connected on a jumper on Davidson's previous possession, she brought the ball down on a missed jumper from GSU and fed the ball into Robinson, who spun around her defender, and laid the ball up and in while getting fouled. She completed the three-point play with the free throw and Davidson increased its lead to 46-36 with 12:17 remaining.

The sophomore duo of Thompson and Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.) gave the Wildcats a total of three players in double digits with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Thompson had her usual solid game at point position, hauling in four boards, dishing out three assists and pocketing a steal to go along with her 12 points in 30 minutes of action. Paquette pulled down six boards and was a force in the paint on defense with a career-high three blocks.

Davidson's defense was stifling in the first half as the 'Cats held Georgia Southern to 8-for-29 from the floor and 0-for-4 from behind the three-point line.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 15-4 lead to start the game as senior Danielle Hemerka (Blackwood, N.J.) and Paquette combined to score nine points during the stretch. Davidson increased the margin to 27-15 on a baseline jumper by Robinson with 3:40 left in the half and wound up holding a 29-18 advantage at the break.

Georgia Southern's Ashley Melson did her best to keep the Eagles in the contest as she scored 18 of her game-high 24 points in the second period. In the closing minutes she scored 10 of GSU's final 14 points, including a three-ball that brought the Eagles within five, 61-56, with 36 seconds left on the clock.

The Wildcats' biggest lead of the game came at the 6:57 mark of the second half when Paquette hit a runner in the lane to push the lead out to 55-42 and Davidson would maintain a lead of at least eight points until the final minute.

Also having nice all-around games for Davidson was both Hemerka and fellow senior Honna Housley (Riceville, Tenn.). Hemerka finished with eight points, six boards and dished out a game-high five assists, while pocketing a couple of steals.

Housley, making her second straight of the season, hustled her way to six points, five rebounds and two steals. She also dished out three assists as Davidson as a team assisted on 13 of its 22 total field goals.

Georgia Southern's Jessica Geiger was the next closest scorer to Melson with nine points.

The Wildcats return to action Sunday when they host local rival Winthrop at 2:30 p.m. in John M. Belk Arena.

Game Notes: Davidson head coach Annette Watts was presented a ball for recording her 100th career win on Nov. 16 at UNC Asheville prior to the game… It was the home opener for Davidson and the conference opener for both teams… It was the earliest league opener for the Wildcats since the 2004-05 campaign…Davidson improved to 5-2 in home openers under Watts and ran its home winning streak to three straight dating back to Feb. 13, 2007.