(photo courtesy of Tim Cowie)
Third-Seeded Wildcats Gear Up For SoCon Tournament on Saturday
3/6/2008 1:30:46 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
SoCon Tournament Central
Women's Tournament Bracket
SoCon Tournament Game Notes
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson women's basketball team will be in search of their first Southern Conference title when they open up tournament play on Saturday, Mar. 8 against Elon in Charleston, S.C.
The Opening Tip
Davidson (19-10, 13-5 SoCon) enters the 2008 SoCon Tournament having won two straight and six of its last seven games. Elon (11-19, 6-12 SoCon), the sixth seed, comes into tournament play winners of three straight, and four of its last five games.
The All-Time Series...
is 13 games old with Davidson leading 10-3 and winners of the past nine meetings. The 'Cats took a 50-40 decision on Jan. 21 at Elon and then sweep the season-series with a 68-54 home win, Feb. 18.
Last Meeting...
The Wildcats ran their home winning streak to five straight with a 68-54 win over Elon, Feb. 18. Mercedes Robinson registered her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 boards, and point guard Alex Thompson tallied 18 points, two off her career-high. Both Thompson (14) and Robinson (11) scored a combined 25 of the 'Cats' 33 first-half points on 9-of-11 shooting when they raced out to a 33-24 halftime lead.
Tournament History
Davidson has played in every round of the tournament at least once, but is still looking for its first championship banner. Here's a look at how the Wildcats have fared in each round:
First round: 2-2
Quarterfinals: 6-5
Semifinals: 1-6
Finals: 0-1
Davidson is still shooting for for its first SoCon Tournament title. If the 'Cats can win two games to make it to the championship game, it would mark the first time since the 1998-99 season that Davidson has made it to the finals when it fell to Appalachian State that year.
Scouting the Wildcats
The Wildcats finished with a 13-5 conference record which put them in a tie for third place with Georgia Southern in the SoCon standings. The Wildcats' won the tiebreaker by virtue of their season-series sweep of the Eagles.
The 13 league wins, which are second- most in school history, marked the second straight season Davidson finished with 13 conference wins in a season.
As the third seed, Davidson earns a bye on the first two days of the tourney and will play No. 6 seeded Elon on Saturday.
Despite the injury bug hitting the Wildcats again this year, their starting rotation has been fairly constant. Four of the probable five starters have started at least 26 of the 29 games, while sophomore Julia Paquette, who would be the fifth starter, has seen her name on the starting lineup card 19 times. Davidson is 10-5 with Paquette in the lineup.
Robinson, a two-time league player of the week this season, leads the way for the Wildcats as she looks to carry her breakout junior campaign into the tournament. Named to both the media and coaches All-SoCon first teams earlier this week, Robinson paces the team with 12.7 and 8.5 averages in points and rebounds per game. Besides ranking third in both categories in the league, the forward is also second in the SoCon with a 53.1 percent field goal shooting.
Robinson has hit for double figures in points in 10 of the past 13 contests, hitting the 20-point plateau twice, while recording eight double doubles during that stretch.
Davidson uses a three-forward frontcourt, with Robinson joining senior Danielle Hemerka and Paquette. Hemerka, who can play both the forward and guard position, is one of the most versatile players Davidson has every had. The senior, who is second on the team with a 9.5 scoring average, will finish her career as the only Wildcat to register over 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 150 steals in a career.
The Wildcats' backcourt consists of senior Honna Housley and sophomore Alex Thompson. The duo have combined to dish out 161 assists and led the Wildcats to a school record in three-pointers made with 37 and 39, respectively. Housley is averaging career highs in points (7.3) and rebounds (3.0).
Thompson has been one the best point guards in the conference, leading the SoCon in three-point (42.9 percent) and free throw (87.0 percent) accuracy along with assists per game (3.93). She's third on the team with an 8.9 scoring average and her 114 total assists rank sixth-best in Wildcat single-season history.
Another key member of the rotation is senior Katie Hamilton, who has seen action in 15 games with six of them starts, is expected to come off the bench. Though she has battled through the swelling of her knee her senior campaign, Hamilton is still able to light it up. She is one of the 'Cats main threats from downtown, nailing 55.6 percent of her treys on the season, and during one stretch, the senior scored 25 points in a 24-minute span over three games. The two-time All-SoCon performer is averaging 12.2 points in her career at the tournament.
Scouting the Phoenix
The Phoenix closed out the year, after a loss to Davidson on Feb. 18, with home wins over UNC Greensboro, Furman and Wofford.
The three wins gave the Phoenix 11 on the year as they finished sixth in the standings at 11-19 overall and 6-12 in SoCon action.
Elon's defense was on display in its final three games, holding all three opponents to under 50 points. On the year, the Phoenix ranks third in the league by allowing 60. 3 points per game.
Media first-team member Tierra Bumbrey paces the Phoenix attack with her 11.9 point per game average. The senior was also named to the coaches 10-member team. In her two meetings against Davidson, Bumbrey was held in check, scoring just six and eight points, respectively, in the two losses.
Kitara McMoore, who was awarded the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award by the league coaches, is second on the team with a 10.9 scoring average after leading the team in points 11 times. McMoore finished the regular-season fourth in the conference in rebounding (7.5) and field goal percentage. In her two games against Davidson, the forward combined for 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Last year at the SoCon tournament, Elon dropped a 64-50 decision to Appalachian State in the first round.
Up Next
With a win over Elon, Davidson would next play the winner of game three (No. 2 Western Carolina vs. No. 7 Furman/No. 10 Wofford) on Sunday in the semifinals at 2:30 on SportSouth.
Women's Tournament Bracket
SoCon Tournament Game Notes
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson women's basketball team will be in search of their first Southern Conference title when they open up tournament play on Saturday, Mar. 8 against Elon in Charleston, S.C.
The Opening Tip
Davidson (19-10, 13-5 SoCon) enters the 2008 SoCon Tournament having won two straight and six of its last seven games. Elon (11-19, 6-12 SoCon), the sixth seed, comes into tournament play winners of three straight, and four of its last five games.
The All-Time Series...
is 13 games old with Davidson leading 10-3 and winners of the past nine meetings. The 'Cats took a 50-40 decision on Jan. 21 at Elon and then sweep the season-series with a 68-54 home win, Feb. 18.
Last Meeting...
The Wildcats ran their home winning streak to five straight with a 68-54 win over Elon, Feb. 18. Mercedes Robinson registered her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 boards, and point guard Alex Thompson tallied 18 points, two off her career-high. Both Thompson (14) and Robinson (11) scored a combined 25 of the 'Cats' 33 first-half points on 9-of-11 shooting when they raced out to a 33-24 halftime lead.
Tournament History
Davidson has played in every round of the tournament at least once, but is still looking for its first championship banner. Here's a look at how the Wildcats have fared in each round:
First round: 2-2
Quarterfinals: 6-5
Semifinals: 1-6
Finals: 0-1
Davidson is still shooting for for its first SoCon Tournament title. If the 'Cats can win two games to make it to the championship game, it would mark the first time since the 1998-99 season that Davidson has made it to the finals when it fell to Appalachian State that year.
Scouting the Wildcats
The Wildcats finished with a 13-5 conference record which put them in a tie for third place with Georgia Southern in the SoCon standings. The Wildcats' won the tiebreaker by virtue of their season-series sweep of the Eagles.
The 13 league wins, which are second- most in school history, marked the second straight season Davidson finished with 13 conference wins in a season.
As the third seed, Davidson earns a bye on the first two days of the tourney and will play No. 6 seeded Elon on Saturday.
Despite the injury bug hitting the Wildcats again this year, their starting rotation has been fairly constant. Four of the probable five starters have started at least 26 of the 29 games, while sophomore Julia Paquette, who would be the fifth starter, has seen her name on the starting lineup card 19 times. Davidson is 10-5 with Paquette in the lineup.
Robinson, a two-time league player of the week this season, leads the way for the Wildcats as she looks to carry her breakout junior campaign into the tournament. Named to both the media and coaches All-SoCon first teams earlier this week, Robinson paces the team with 12.7 and 8.5 averages in points and rebounds per game. Besides ranking third in both categories in the league, the forward is also second in the SoCon with a 53.1 percent field goal shooting.
Robinson has hit for double figures in points in 10 of the past 13 contests, hitting the 20-point plateau twice, while recording eight double doubles during that stretch.
Davidson uses a three-forward frontcourt, with Robinson joining senior Danielle Hemerka and Paquette. Hemerka, who can play both the forward and guard position, is one of the most versatile players Davidson has every had. The senior, who is second on the team with a 9.5 scoring average, will finish her career as the only Wildcat to register over 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 150 steals in a career.
The Wildcats' backcourt consists of senior Honna Housley and sophomore Alex Thompson. The duo have combined to dish out 161 assists and led the Wildcats to a school record in three-pointers made with 37 and 39, respectively. Housley is averaging career highs in points (7.3) and rebounds (3.0).
Thompson has been one the best point guards in the conference, leading the SoCon in three-point (42.9 percent) and free throw (87.0 percent) accuracy along with assists per game (3.93). She's third on the team with an 8.9 scoring average and her 114 total assists rank sixth-best in Wildcat single-season history.
Another key member of the rotation is senior Katie Hamilton, who has seen action in 15 games with six of them starts, is expected to come off the bench. Though she has battled through the swelling of her knee her senior campaign, Hamilton is still able to light it up. She is one of the 'Cats main threats from downtown, nailing 55.6 percent of her treys on the season, and during one stretch, the senior scored 25 points in a 24-minute span over three games. The two-time All-SoCon performer is averaging 12.2 points in her career at the tournament.
Scouting the Phoenix
The Phoenix closed out the year, after a loss to Davidson on Feb. 18, with home wins over UNC Greensboro, Furman and Wofford.
The three wins gave the Phoenix 11 on the year as they finished sixth in the standings at 11-19 overall and 6-12 in SoCon action.
Elon's defense was on display in its final three games, holding all three opponents to under 50 points. On the year, the Phoenix ranks third in the league by allowing 60. 3 points per game.
Media first-team member Tierra Bumbrey paces the Phoenix attack with her 11.9 point per game average. The senior was also named to the coaches 10-member team. In her two meetings against Davidson, Bumbrey was held in check, scoring just six and eight points, respectively, in the two losses.
Kitara McMoore, who was awarded the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award by the league coaches, is second on the team with a 10.9 scoring average after leading the team in points 11 times. McMoore finished the regular-season fourth in the conference in rebounding (7.5) and field goal percentage. In her two games against Davidson, the forward combined for 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Last year at the SoCon tournament, Elon dropped a 64-50 decision to Appalachian State in the first round.
Up Next
With a win over Elon, Davidson would next play the winner of game three (No. 2 Western Carolina vs. No. 7 Furman/No. 10 Wofford) on Sunday in the semifinals at 2:30 on SportSouth.
2026 Women's Lacrosse - Jane's Fund Game (Piper Harrell)
Saturday, April 11
2025-26 Swimming & Diving - Dylan Felt (NCAA Qualifier)
Wednesday, March 25
2026 Davidson Football Spring Zoom Call
Thursday, March 19
2025-26 Wrestling - Anderson Heap (NCAA Qualifier)
Monday, March 16
