Bench Sparks ‘Cats to Big 80-65 Home Win vs. Winthrop

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DAVIDSON, N.C. — Three Wildcats came off the bench to score in double digits, led by Shneeka Center's team-best 14 points, and the bench in all scored 42 points in helping Davidson roll to an 80-65 home win over Big South-foe Winthrop in women's basketball action on Thursday evening in John M. Belk Arena.

Center was joined in the double-digit column by Jasmine Calin with 12 points and Amanda Ottaway chipped in 11 points and five rebounds. Katrin Chiemeka rounded out the double-figure scorers for Davidson with 11 points, hitting a pair of three-balls.

Center and Calin played a key roll in helping the Wildcats (3-4) overcome a 10-2 deficit to start the game. The duo combined to score 13 points during a 19-4 run in the first half that gave Davidson a 21-14 lead it would never relinquish.

The 'Cats led by as many as 21 points in the second half in picking up their seventh win in their last eight home contests dating back to last Jan. 31.

Winthrop's (2-5) Dequesha McClanahan had a game-high 21 points, while Samiya Wright (15) and Diana Choibekova (14) also scored in double figures. The Eagles were held to 33.3 percent shooting and coughed the ball up 23 times, resulting in 23 Wildcat points.

Davidson's two leading scorers, Sophia Aleksandravicius (8 points/8 rebounds) and Laura Murray (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists), had quiet nights as the Eagles' defense keyed in on the pair, but Davidson's bench stepped up to the challenge.

In addition to getting a season-high 42 points from its bench, the Wildcats also used their height advantage, scoring 46 points in the paint to tie a team season-high this year.

After Winthrop closed to within 26-25, the 'Cats used a quick 7-0 run and went into halftime up 33-28.

The second half saw Davidson maintain a seven-point lead until the 15:01 mark when the Eagles closed to within 41-36. Center then sparked a 22-6 run over the next six minutes with seven points, including draining a three-ball, and Calin added four points with three coming on an and-one play to give the Wildcats a commanding 63-42 lead with 9:28 left.

Ottaway sealed the win by swishing home all four of her free throws in the final 38 ticks. She finished 7-for-9 from the line.

Davidson opens Southern Conference play next with a contest at Western Carolina this Saturday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m.

Game Notes: Aleksandravicius is closing in on 1,000 career points, needing 39 ... Davidson shot 51.6 percent in the second half and has now shoot better than 50 percent in six of its last 11 halves ... the win was the Wildcats' 10th in the last 11 meetings vs. Winthrop as they improved to 10-4 all-time ... Davidson is just eight wins away from reaching 350 in the program's 33-year history ... point guard Barbara Sitton had a solid game, filling the stat-sheet with a season-high nine points, while adding five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

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