Wildcat Shooting Woes Allows Western Carolina to Win 8th Straight, 67-56
2/3/2007 1:23:19 PM | Women's Basketball
Sports Information - Gavin McFarlin
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Davidson was held to 34.4 percent shooting as Western Carolina's Lauren Powell dropped in a game-high 21 points, 15 of them on threes, in leading the Catamounts to their eighth straight victory by the count of 67-56 over the Wildcats on Saturday even in Southern Conference women's basketball action. After winning a stretch of 14 of 15 games, Davidson dropped its second in the past three, falling to 18-5 overall and 9-3 in SoCon play. Western, who has not lost since the Wildcats beat them 75-60 in early January, improved to 16-7 overall and moved into a first-place tie with Chattanooga with a 10-2 league mark.
The Wildcats bid to make it two straight come-from-behind victories came up short as they tied a season-low with 21 field goals on 61 attempts. In their second go-around against SoCon opponents, the Wildcats twice have been held to under 35 percent shooting for the game. They came in leading the league with a 44.1 field goal percentage.
Powell led a Western Carolina attack from downtown, with the Catamounts netting seven of their 10 three-pointers in the first half and finished 10-of-25 from behind the arc for the game. Powell was 5-of-10 from the three-line. Monique Dawson was 3-of-5 from downtown to give the Catamounts two scorers in double figures with 13 points.
Senior Tia Washington (Charlotte, N.C.) gave Davidson an early 4-0 advantage on two free throws at the 17:41 mark. It would be the last lead Davidson would have as Chevon Keith and Powell dropped in back-to-back threes for a WCU lead of 6-4.
The Catamounts then went on to score 27 of the next 39 points combined between the two teams to push their lead out a 17-point advantage at 33-16 with 4:56 remaining in the half. They finished out the half leading in double figures as Davidson headed into halftime down by 15 points (41-26) for the second game in a row. The 41 first half points by Western was a season-best.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats used a 19-2 run at the start of the second half after trailing by 15 to College of Charleston on its way to a 72-63 win. Tonight though, was a different story as Western answer every bucket the 'Cats had in the second stanza.
Kendra Eaton pushed the Catamount lead out to its biggest margin of the night at 51-29 on a free throw at the 13:30 mark. Eaton was one of six Catamounts to haul in four or more rebounds, leading WCU to a 45-38 advantage. Dawson and Keith had top game honors with nine boards apiece.
Davidson tried to make one last push midway through the last period. Trailing by 17 points (56-39) with 7:01 remaining in the game, the Wildcats rattled off nine straight points over the next three and a half minutes to cut the Western lead down to single digits at eight points, 56-48, with 3:30 on the clock.
Powell answered the Wildcat run with a three-ball on the next possession and later hit a layup on a putback to push the lead back out to double digits at 63-50.
Davidson cut it to nine with 32 seconds left on a three-pointer from senior Jessica Mitchell (Wilkesboro, N.C.), but could claw no closer, falling 67-56.
Freshman Julia Paquette, in her first career start, responsed with a team-best 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and a 2-for-2 performance at the line. She hauled in a career-best eight boards and came up with her eighth block of the season.
Junior Danielle Hemerka (Blackwood, N.J.) matched Paquette with 12 points and led Davidson in rebounding for the second straight game with nine boards. Mitchell broke out of her scoring slump by giving the Wildcats three players in double figures with 11 points, nine of them coming from downtown on 3-of-7 shooting.
Davidson will look to get back on the winning track with a trip to Chattanooga on Monday for a 7 p.m. tip-off against the Lady Mocs. The Wildcats are looking to stop their 15-game losing skid against the Mocs and bring them closer to first place in the SoCon.
