Wildcat Women Fall in Semifinals For Third Straight Year, 80-68
8/27/2007 1:58:53 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Despite advancing to the semifinals for the third straight year and seventh time overall, the Davidson women's basketball team could not overcome its past history in the semis by dropping an 80-68 decision to second-seeded Chattanooga on Friday afternoon at the Southern Conference Championships. The Wildcats, who fell for the 17th straight time to the Mocs, saw their semifinal record drop to 1-6 while finishing out the year at a school-best 23-8. Chattanooga moved on to face the number one seed Western Carolina in tomorrow's championship game at 2 p.m.
Though the Wildcats SoCon tourney run ended, they are hoping for an outside shot at an invite to the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), March 14-31. Their RPI coming into today's contest was at 54 according to collegerpi.com. Davidson also has some strong wins to its credit with victories over Gonzaga, who is ranked 53rd in RPI, Charlotte along with UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina, who won the SoCon regular-season title. The Wildcats also nearly upset nationally ranked Georgia (74-68) and were one good half away from beating Montana (68-61) at the Klosterman Buckeye Classic.
“This team needs and definitely deserves a spot in the WNIT,” said head coach Annette Watts, who is one victory away from hitting the 100-win mark for her career. “It would mean so much to our kids as well as the Davidson women's basketball program. We've had a great year and we'll be prepared hopefully for some extended postseason play.”
The Wildcats got plenty of offense from their starters as four of the five reached double figures, led by senior Brynn Kelly's (Spokane, Wash.) 18 points. She was a career-best 7-of-10 from the floor and perfect from the line (4-for-4), while hauling in a team-high eight boards. She also chipped in with three assists and two steals.
Right behind her was senior Tia Washington (Charlotte, N.C.) and redshirt junior Katie Hamilton (Lilburn, Ga.) with 17 points apiece. Washington tied her career-best with eight field goals made and Hamilton netted three of Davidson's four three-balls in the game. Washington, Hamilton and Kelly combined to score 35 of the Wildcats' 39 second half points when Davidson twice cut the lead down to seven points.
Davidson came out on a mission in the first five minutes of the game, racing out to a 12-4 lead after a Danielle Hemerka (Blackwood, N.J.) layup, forcing a timeout by Chattanooga.
The Mocs' Alex Anderson, who was named the conference's Player of the Year by both the media and coaches, and Brooke Hand then took over the half and the game as Chattanooga later tied it up at 20-all before going into halftime up 45-29. Anderson went off for 20 first half points, missing just four of her 11 field goal attempts and hitting all five of her free throws. The Wildcats defense clamped down on her in the second half as she was held to two points to finish with 22.
Brooke Hand did her damage all game from the outside against the Wildcats. She closed out the contest with a game-high 23 points, 18 of them from behind the arc on 6-of-11 shooting. Chattanooga as team hit 11 for the game. Four of Hand's three-balls came in the first half, including back-to-back ones that gave Chattanooga the lead for good at 26-20.
Down by 16 after the break, the Wildcats came out with the same intensity it started the game with by going on a 19-9 run to close within six points at 54-48 and 12:49 remaining in the contest. Washington, Kelly and Hamilton scored all 19 points as Hamilton capped off the run with her second three-pointer during the streak.
Then after Chattanooga pushed its lead back out to double digits, Davidson cut it to seven points, 61-54, on a driving layup by Washington at the 8:17 mark.
But Chattanooga responded with back-to-back shots from three-land and the Mocs pushed their lead out to as many as 17 before earning the 80-68 win over the Wildcats.
Hemerka gave Davidson its fourth scorer in double figures with 12 points. She finished the tournament with a combined 23 points after recording 11 in the win over Wofford in the quarterfinals.
Chattanooga's Shanara Hollinquest reached double digits with 13 points off the bench as the Mocs bench outscored Davidson's by the count of 28-4.
Davidson will now wait till Monday, March 12th, following the NCAA Tournament selections, to see if they will be playing beyond today's semifinal game.
Though the Wildcats SoCon tourney run ended, they are hoping for an outside shot at an invite to the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), March 14-31. Their RPI coming into today's contest was at 54 according to collegerpi.com. Davidson also has some strong wins to its credit with victories over Gonzaga, who is ranked 53rd in RPI, Charlotte along with UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina, who won the SoCon regular-season title. The Wildcats also nearly upset nationally ranked Georgia (74-68) and were one good half away from beating Montana (68-61) at the Klosterman Buckeye Classic.
“This team needs and definitely deserves a spot in the WNIT,” said head coach Annette Watts, who is one victory away from hitting the 100-win mark for her career. “It would mean so much to our kids as well as the Davidson women's basketball program. We've had a great year and we'll be prepared hopefully for some extended postseason play.”
The Wildcats got plenty of offense from their starters as four of the five reached double figures, led by senior Brynn Kelly's (Spokane, Wash.) 18 points. She was a career-best 7-of-10 from the floor and perfect from the line (4-for-4), while hauling in a team-high eight boards. She also chipped in with three assists and two steals.
Right behind her was senior Tia Washington (Charlotte, N.C.) and redshirt junior Katie Hamilton (Lilburn, Ga.) with 17 points apiece. Washington tied her career-best with eight field goals made and Hamilton netted three of Davidson's four three-balls in the game. Washington, Hamilton and Kelly combined to score 35 of the Wildcats' 39 second half points when Davidson twice cut the lead down to seven points.
Davidson came out on a mission in the first five minutes of the game, racing out to a 12-4 lead after a Danielle Hemerka (Blackwood, N.J.) layup, forcing a timeout by Chattanooga.
The Mocs' Alex Anderson, who was named the conference's Player of the Year by both the media and coaches, and Brooke Hand then took over the half and the game as Chattanooga later tied it up at 20-all before going into halftime up 45-29. Anderson went off for 20 first half points, missing just four of her 11 field goal attempts and hitting all five of her free throws. The Wildcats defense clamped down on her in the second half as she was held to two points to finish with 22.
Brooke Hand did her damage all game from the outside against the Wildcats. She closed out the contest with a game-high 23 points, 18 of them from behind the arc on 6-of-11 shooting. Chattanooga as team hit 11 for the game. Four of Hand's three-balls came in the first half, including back-to-back ones that gave Chattanooga the lead for good at 26-20.
Down by 16 after the break, the Wildcats came out with the same intensity it started the game with by going on a 19-9 run to close within six points at 54-48 and 12:49 remaining in the contest. Washington, Kelly and Hamilton scored all 19 points as Hamilton capped off the run with her second three-pointer during the streak.
Then after Chattanooga pushed its lead back out to double digits, Davidson cut it to seven points, 61-54, on a driving layup by Washington at the 8:17 mark.
But Chattanooga responded with back-to-back shots from three-land and the Mocs pushed their lead out to as many as 17 before earning the 80-68 win over the Wildcats.
Hemerka gave Davidson its fourth scorer in double figures with 12 points. She finished the tournament with a combined 23 points after recording 11 in the win over Wofford in the quarterfinals.
Chattanooga's Shanara Hollinquest reached double digits with 13 points off the bench as the Mocs bench outscored Davidson's by the count of 28-4.
Davidson will now wait till Monday, March 12th, following the NCAA Tournament selections, to see if they will be playing beyond today's semifinal game.
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