Virginia Shoots Its Way Past Davidson, 83-68; Robinson Nets Career-High 22

Thursday, December 20

Charlottesville, Va.

7 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

at Virginia

Mercedes Robinson's 22 points was the sixth time this season the junior has hit for double figures.

Virginia Shoots Its Way Past Davidson, 83-68; Robinson Nets Career-High 22

12/20/2007 8:07:20 PM | Women's Basketball

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Sophomore Mercedes Robinson (Baltimore, Md.) scored a career-high 22 points, but it was not enough to offset five Virginia players who scored in double figures and led a Cavalier attack that shot 52.4 percent for the game as the Davidson Wildcat women's basketball team dropped an 83-68 decision on Thursday, Dec. 20 at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Wildcats fell to 6-4 on the season in the program's first trip to Charlottesville, while Virginia ran it overall record to 7-4.

Robinson added a game-and career-high 13 rebounds to go along with the game-high 22 points for her fourth double-double of the season. The junior post player was 8-of-11 from the field, including tying a career-high with two shots from behind the arc, and hit all four of her free throws.

Matching Robinson in double figures was sophomore Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.), who dropped in 17 points off the bench. After missing her first shot, she finished 8-for-8 from the field and hit her only free throw. Paquette has now hit for double digits in five of her last six games.

All five Virginia starters scored in double figures, led by Monica Wright's 18 points. Virginia as a team came into the contest with four players averaging over 10 points.

Davidson grabbed a quick 6-5 lead on a Robinson layup off the right block, but that was the last lead the Wildcats would have in the evening as Virginia got hot from the field.

The Cavaliers turned a one-point deficit into a 24-11 lead by making 11 of their first 16 shots before a break in the action at the 11:22 mark. Lyndra Little, Aisha Mohammed and Wright provided the scoring burst by combining for 22 of the 24 points. Little finish with 12 points in the half.

Little and Mohammed capped off their nights with 17 and 16 points, respectively. The two post players combined to shoot 12-for-21 from the field and hauled in total of 11 rebounds. The majority of both players' points came in the paint as they led Virginia to a 52-22 advantage in points down on the blocks.

Davidson cut the lead down to seven, 26-19, at the 8:26 mark with an 8-2 run as Paquette scored six points during the run.

The 'Cats would score just seven more points the rest of the half though, and Virginia rode a 51.5 percent shooting performance in the first period into the locker room with a 42-26 advantage.

After hitting just 32.4 percent of their shots in the first half, the Wildcats did find their stroke in the second period from the field and three-point country. They hit 16-of-29 shots (55.2 percent) and drained 7-of-13 three-balls in the half to match their season-high with nine.

The hot-shooting and two runs in the second half kept Davidson close, but it was just never able to keep the momentum going. After falling behind by 24 (57-33) at the 16:09 mark, the Wildcats used a 19-5 run, fueled by a combined 16 points from Robinson and Paquette, to pull within 10 at 62-52 with 8:38 remaining.

Virginia pushed the lead back out to 17 on two free throws by Sharnee Zoll, who had 16 points and eight assists, but Davidson used back-to-back three-balls from sophomore Monica Laune (Ashland, Neb.) to cut the lead back to 13 at 74-61.

The Wildcats got no closer over the last four minutes as Virginia pushed the lead back out to as many as 18 on its way to the 83-68 win.

The Wildcats continue their four-game road trip after an eight-day Christmas break with a trip to Philadelphia, Pa. for its second in-season tournament with an appearance in the St. Joe's Hawk Classic on the campus of Saint Joseph's University. Davidson will open play against No. 16/16 Auburn on Friday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m., before playing either St. Joseph's or New Jersey Institute of Technology on the 29th at 2/4 p.m.