Clutch Shooting, Free Throws and Bench Carry Wildcats to Win in OT, 84-76

Saturday, February 23

Spartanburg, S.C.

2 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

at Wofford

Sophomore Julia Paquette dropped in 11 of her game- and career-high 23 points on Saturday afternoon.

Clutch Shooting, Free Throws and Bench Carry Wildcats to Win in OT, 84-76

2/23/2008 3:42:32 PM | Women's Basketball

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score
Will's World: Thompson, Gassie leave it all on the parquet in Wofford

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Sophomore Alex Thompson (Asheville, N.C.) hit a huge three-ball from the right wing with 1:22 left in overtime that gave the 'Cats the lead for good and added two free throws to close out the scoring, and Davidson's bench stepped up in overtime to lead the Wildcats to a come-from-behind 84-76 win over Wofford in women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

Davidson had to fight hard for its ninth win in the past 11 games to improve to 17-9 overall and 11-4 in Southern Conference play. The Wildcats also avenged an overtime road loss last year to the Terriers as they earned their 13th win in the past 14 meetings. Wofford dropped its 13th straight game to fall to 9-17 overall and 2-13 in league play.

Down 75-71, the Wildcats got three straight free throws from sophomore Monica Laune (Ashland, Neb.) and freshman Kelsey Cary (Anselmo, Calif.) to bring the Wildcats within one with 2:09 left in overtime. Davidson set a school record in made free throws as it went a season-best 34-of-42, including a combined 24-for-27 in the second half and overtime.

Then off a Terrier missed jumper, Davidson's possession saw it work the ball into Cary on the blocks. Wofford tried to double-team Cary, but she quickly passed the ball out to an open Thompson behind the arc on the right wing, who lined the shot up and drained the bucket for a 77-75 Wildcat lead with 1:27 left in overtime.

Junior Kelly Gassie (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.), one of four bench players on the floor after four of the Wildcats' five starters had fouled out, added a layup off a steal from Laune and a single free throw with 41 seconds left to push the lead out to five at 80-75. Gassie filled the stat-sheet with eight points and matched her career-high with seven boards.

Freshman Ashley Lax (Little Rock, Ark.) and Thompson then iced the game by going 4-for-4 from the line in the last 35 seconds to seal the victory.

Thompson was one of three Wildcats to hit double figures as she had her second straight game with 18 points, getting a career-best 10 of them at the charity stripe. The sophomore also chipped in with nine rebounds, a personal-best six steals and three assists.

Davidson forced overtime when down 68-65 with 40 seconds left in regulation, sophomore Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.) hit a turn-around jumper in the lane for two of her personal-best and game-high 23 points to bring the 'Cats within two. Paquette played big down low, matching her career-high with an 8-of-16 shooting performance and added a personal-best seven free throws. Eleven of her 23 points came in the first half.

Then after a single free throw by Laura Depko, Davidson came down with just 20 seconds on the clock and fed the ball into junior Mercedes Robinson (Baltimore, Md.), who hit the game-tying two-pointer on a short jumper in the lane to knot things up at 69-all and force overtime.

Despite being held to just two points and six boards in the first half, Robinson got in a groove in the second stanza and overtime. The junior finished with her league-leading 12th double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in 38 minutes. Robinson matched her career-high with a perfect 8-for-8 showing at the free throw line.

Davidson ran out to a 15-4 advantage in the first half, but went cold in the last 11 minutes of the contest to allow Wofford to get back in it. Two free throws by the Terriers' Natalie Gramblin at the 5:38 mark started a 15-0 Wofford run that turned a one-point Wildcat lead in to 33-21 Terrier advantage and eventually a 33-23 halftime lead.

Wofford placed three players in double figures, led by Natalie Gramblin's 15 points. Mahagony Williams recorded her second double double in the past three games with 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

The Wildcats now head to Greenville, S.C. for its second game of a three-game road swing and will play Furman on Monday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Davidson earned a 74-59 win against the Paladins earlier this season at Belk Arena.

Game Notes: It's the first game this year every Wildcat that played, etched their name in the scorer's book... Davidson hit the 50-rebound mark for the third time this season, getting 22 of its 52 boards on offense... Neither team got in a flow as there were 59 fouls called... Robinson has now tallied 15 career double doubles... The game at Wofford started a four-game swing in eight days to close out the regular season.