'Cats Tip W. Basketball Season Off in Arkansas

Interview with Arkansas native Ashley Lax
2010-11 Digital Media Guide
Game Notes - vs. UALR (pdf)
Teamline (Audio)
Live Stats (UALR)
Live Stats (Arkansas)

DAVIDSON, N.C. — After opening the season with an 84-58 exhibition win last Sunday, the Davidson women's basketball team gears up for the 2010-11 regular season when it tips the season off this weekend in Arkansas.

Under the guidance of first-year head coach Michele Savage, the Wildcats will open the season on Friday, Nov. 14 at Arkansas-Little Rock at 8 p.m., and then finish up their trip with a 2 p.m. contest against SEC-foe Arkansas on Sunday.

The two games will be broadcast by play-by-play announcer Derek Smith and can be heard on Teamline.

It's a return trip home for senior guard Ashley Lax, who is from Little Rock. Lax was recently named, for the second year in a row, to the All-Southern Conference preseason team with Sophia Aleksandravicius.

In preparation for the tip-off on Friday, below is the season outlook for the 2010-11 Wildcats...

The Wildcats' 2010-11 season begins a new era for the program as Michele Savage takes over the reins. Savage enters her first year as a head coach and the excitement is running all through the program.

With a solid balance of talent from top to bottom, good depth and the leadership of two veteran seniors, Davidson has the capability to make this year a special one. Coach Savage's thoughts on this year's team and what you can expect from the Davidson Women's Basketball team for the 2010-11 campaign…

Question: What are some key factors for the team's success this season?

Coach Savage: “As a college player I was fortunate to play on a fundamentally sound team. We were not the most talented team in the Big Ten Conference but we did end up as Big Ten champions and earned a ring for our efforts. Likewise, my Davidson team this year, may not have the most talent in the SoCon or have as many Top 100 recruits as some of our non-conference opponents, but, I like the makeup of this squad.

Can I make the group understand that ball movement and shot selection will ultimately wear a team down? Will we be able to master the art of pushing the tempo both on offense and on defense and still be able to play the kind of game that I want to play? I preach to the team that communication is critical for us – can I make them truly believe this and talk on the court the way I know they will in the locker room or the way I know

they will on our bus rides? My ultimate goal will be to give each player a well-defined role and help each player accept that role so that in turn, their role can continue to expand their game and will make us a better team.

I believe strongly in the power of the team. If we can stay together as a group I feel we can grow and continue to develop over the coming months. There are very few college athletic teams that get through a season without adversity and challenges that at times, seem unfair. As a first-year head coach I fully expect to face obstacles along the way that, when I reflect back a few years down the road, will ultimately help shape my coaching philosophy. The Davidson 2010-11 basketball team has so far been a bonded group – they care for each other. If we can build on this and push each other to excel and hold ourselves accountable as a team, we will have a chance at being a great team.”

2009-10 Quick Recap
Last season the Wildcats finished 14-15 overall, facing top program's like Nebraska and N.C. State, both of which advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and Creighton, which made the second round of the WNIT. They had their seventh straight winning season in league games at 12-8. Gone due to graduation are starters Alex Thompson, Julia Paquette and Monica Laune. Thompson, an All-SoCon First Team pick by the coaches last year, left her name scattered throughout the Wildcat record books, and Paquette and Laune were both two of the hardest workers on the court during their four-year careers and unsung team leaders.

2010-11 Returners
The pieces that return for Savage are nine letterwinners, which starts with the senior class of Ashley Lax and Chloe Woodington. The tandem hope to cap off their careers by assisting the Wildcats to their first league title.

Add in the pieces of juniors Logan Hartman (missed all of 2009-10), Amanda Ottaway and Kristen Johnsen, along with a deep sophomore class, which was ranked the best recruiting class in the SoCon a year ago and includes Barbara Sitton, Sophia Aleksandravicius, Sarah Davis, Jasmine Calin and Katrin Chiemeka, and it all sets up the 'Cats for another great season and a run in the SoCon.

Senior Class
Lax finished third on the team with a 11.1 point per game average. The senior sharp-shooter showed a deadly eye from downtown, canning 38.1 percent of her three-pointers. Lax has started 55 games and set the single-season school mark for made three-balls with 66 in 2008-09 and was two off of that mark last year, hitting 64 treys.

Woodington, after missing her first two years due to pre-season injuries, came back fully healthy last year and appeared in 28 games. She clipped the double-digit mark at home vs. Wofford in points for first time in her career with 11 and has the ability to score points in a hurry.

Question: What has impressed you most about the senior class?

Coach Savage: “Both Ashley and Chloe have strong leadership skills and care so much about the success of the team. They truly have shown me just what a special place Davidson College is. They're what I call “character people” – they do the right thing for the right reason. Both of them have pushed themselves in the preseason to be prepared

for the rigors of the six months ahead of us. They encourage their teammates yet also hold them to a high standard. I want nothing but the best for both of these young ladies – they are outstanding representatives of Davidson College and wear their Wildcat gear with pride.

Ashley is a crafty and knowledgeable scorer – she has a great stroke and I expect her to be a consistent scoring threat for us. Ashley is a hard worker and has a winner's mentality.

Chloe has been a great vocal leader during the preseason and I am looking forward to seeing her have an outstanding senior year. She is a solid ball-handler and also has a knack for knocking down big buckets. She will play the point guard as well as the off-guard spot for us this year.”

Cracking the Lineup: Backcourt and Front
The Wildcats return two of their five starters from a year ago, led by Lax in the backcourt and Aleksandravicius in the frontcourt. Aleksandravicius, who tallied 11 double-doubles (nine vs. the SoCon) for second-most in the league, had an outstanding first year. One of the top post players in the league, she was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team by the coaches and earned a spot on the All-State Second-Team. The first-year player finished with averages of 12 points and 8 rebounds, putting her in the top-10 of the league in both categories. In addition, she was a force on the defensive end, swatting away 49 shots, good for third-most in a single season for Davidson.

“The NCAA tweaked the rules this year and allowed Division I women's basketball teams to start practice forty days prior to the start of their first game – the stipulation being that a team can only practice thirty of those forty days,” said Savage. “As a new coaching staff this extra preparation time was much needed and has been well used. I have implemented an entire new offensive system and have also changed our look on the defensive end. The players have been extremely adaptable and 'sponge-like' – I really give them credit for the focus and attention to detail they have shown.”

Question: Three players on last year's team started 26 games or more – two of those players have graduated. What will it take to crack your starting line up?

Coach Savage: “When a new coach comes into a program the players do start with a clean slate and an opportunity to show why they deserve to play. The team thus far is making my decisions about playing time difficult.

In the frontcourt, Sophia proved to be a factor at both ends of the court last year. She is continuing to develop in the post and I expect her shooting percentage to be higher this year, and I also expect her to get to the free throw line more.

Junior Amanda Ottaway is fundamentally one of the more complete players that we have. Her footwork is very good and she is steady around the basket.

Logan, another junior, is a vocal presence for us and finds a way to get the team a few extra offensive possessions with her rebounding knack.

A third junior, Kristen Johnson, has displayed a nice mix of scoring ability and is one of our better rebounders. On every team there is usually one or two players that things just run better when they are on the court – KJ is that player for us right now.

A question mark for my coaching staff is sophomore post player Sarah Davis. Sarah has had battled an early season injury, so we have to take a wait and see approach. She is a quick study though and knows the play-book as well as anyone currently on the court.

The backcourt will be anchored by the seniors. Barbara Sitton will fill in and is a good floor general. She attacks the basket well despite her compact size. Barb can be a relentless defender and I will need her to be just that.

Katrine, a sophomore from France, has range out to the three-point line and can also get into the lanes. Her international playing experience has helped in her development as a basketball player.

Jasmine has stepped up her game and become one of our better perimeter defenders. Her offensive skills are solid, but she can really make a difference for us when the other team has the ball.

The freshmen are small in number, there are only two of them, but mighty in their heart and competitiveness.

Laura Murray, a Pennsylvania native, is a very complete player. She has a pretty shot with range yet is also comfortable with the ball in her hands – either directing the offense or getting to the rim.

Her running mate, Shneeka Center from New York, has earned the respect of the team with the energy and inner fire she brings to everything she does. She will be called on to help us both inside and on the perimeter.

Both of these players have well-deserved confidence in their abilities and have challenged our veterans from day one. The rest of the team would have it no other way and that is one of the traits that I admire about the Davidson student-athlete. They like to be challenged.”

The 2010-11 Schedule
Davidson will tip their season off by making a trip to the state of Arkansas for the first time in program history as well as head to Texas for a Thanksgiving tournament hosted by University of Texas-San Antonio, they are just a few highlights from the 2010-11 schedule.

In addition to those contests, the Wildcats will host William & Mary, Radford and Princeton as part of its non-conference schedule, while also partaking in a 20-game Southern Conference slate. The SoCon Tournament returns to Chattanooga, Tenn., at McKenzie Arena on the campus of UTC, March 3-7.

Question: You start out the season on the road, taking on a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Arkansas-Little Rock and then continue the road trip going into the unfriendly confines of Bud Walton Arena on the campus of Arkansas from the SEC. In the same month, your team will head to San Antonio, Texas to play in the Roadrunner Classic. Near the end of the year, on December 29, you welcome the champion of the Ivy League to Baker Arena. What are your thoughts about this season's schedule?

Coach Savage: “Bringing a team on the road early and getting a taste of life together as a team is something I am looking forward to. The non-conference playing schedule will accomplish a few different things for our team. We will matchup against teams from eight different conferences ranging from the SEC to the Ivy League, which will expose us to different playing styles. We will play two teams that participated in the NCAA tournament – and both of these teams return at least three starters. March Madness is the ultimate challenge for every team in America, so getting an early taste of this type of competition will benefit us. The non-conference portion of our schedule will also allow us to bring our two seniors (Ashley from Arkansas and Chloe from Texas) back to their hometowns – playing in front of family and friends is always a nice thing.”

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