‘Cats Ring in New Year With Convincing 67-45 Win vs. Spartans

Saturday, January 2

Davidson, N.C.

2:00 p.m.

Davidson College

UNC Greensboro

Ashley Lax pushed her season total in three-pointers made to 19 with three in Davidson's 22-point win.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

‘Cats Ring in New Year With Convincing 67-45 Win vs. Spartans

1/2/2010 5:39:37 PM | Women's Basketball

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson opened up the New Year by putting four players in double figures in points, with Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) recording her second straight double-double, and the Wildcats held UNC Greensboro to 21.3 percent shooting in rolling to a 67-45 Southern Conference win on Saturday afternoon at John M. Belk Arena in women's basketball action.

The four double-figure scorers was the third time this year the Wildcats accomplished the feat as they kept their winning ways going. They won their third straight, and fifth in the past six games, to improve to 5-7 overall and 4-1 in league play.

A 15-0 run in the final 7:46 of the first half broke up a 15-all tie to give Davidson control of the game and it would push its lead out to as many as 27 points in the second half in cruising to the 22-point win.

The Spartans (5-8, 2-3 SoCon) went ice cold during that time, missing all seven of their shot attempts, including a pair of free throws, and turned the ball over four times. UNCG shots just 19 percent (6-31) overall in the half and hit just one of its 11 three-point attempts.

Ashley Lax (Little Rock, Ark.), who started the game-changing run with a trey and would score nine of the 'Cats last 15 points in the half, led all scorers with 15 points. She went 5-of-11 from the field and hauled in seven rebounds. Lax also finished 3-of-7 from behind the arc as Davidson drained seven treys as a team, one off its season-high.

Aleksandravicius, fresh off her third double-double in a win on Tuesday vs. Newberry, picked up yet another one with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. She added three blocks to push her team-leading total to 21.

Aleksandravicius was not alone down on the blocks as senior Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.) and sophomore Kristen Johnsen (Wayne, Pa.) combined for 21 points and 13 rebounds. Paquette, who finished with 11 rebounds – seven of them coming on the offensive end – gave Davidson its first pair of double-figure rebounders since last season when Mandy Halbersleben and Mercedes Robinson reached the double-digit mark at Wofford, Jan. 31.

Davidson had its best game in the rebounding department, pulling down season highs of 16 offensive rebounds and 51 boards overall.

Johnsen topped her career-best in points, set just a game ago, with 14 off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting and picked up four more points at the charity stripe. During a four-minute stretch in the middle of the second half, she scored eight of the 'Cats 10 points to help Davidson push its lead out to 26 at 60-34 with 7:06 remaining.

Rounding out the double-figure scorers was senior Alex Thompson (Asheville, N.C.) with an even 10 points, while she also filled the stat sheet with six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Fellow senior Monica Laune (Ashland, Neb.) nearly clipped the double-figure mark with nine points, while dishing out a game-high five assists.

Brey Dorsett was the lone Spartan to reach double figures with 11 points off the bench. UNCG got 30 of its 45 total points from its bench.

Davidson, currently sitting in second place in the SoCon, hunts for its fifth league win on Monday, Jan. 4. The Wildcats travel to Elon for a 7 p.m. contest.

Game Notes: Head Coach Annette Watts is now six SoCon wins away from reaching 100 for her career ... Thompson has now scored in double figures in nine of the Wildcats' 12 games ... Aleksandravicius has registered three of her four double doubles at home ... during the last six games, the freshman is averaging a double-double at 19 ppg and 10.3 rpg ... the 22-point win tied a season-high as Davidson earlier this season defeated Wofford, 90-68 ... Davidson has now won five of its last seven games vs. UNCG.