Murray’s 23 Points Leads Women’s Basketball Past Western Carolina

Saturday, February 5

Davidson, N.C.

2:00 p.m.

Davidson College

11-11, 6-7SoCon

Western Carolina

6-16, 4-9SoCon

Western Carolina

Davidson

Murray has scored 50 points in the last two games.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Murray’s 23 Points Leads Women’s Basketball Past Western Carolina

2/5/2011 5:00:04 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin -- Assistant SID

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Freshman guard Laura Murray scored a game-high 23 points, her second straight 20-point outing, and Davidson never trailed in a 65-56 Southern Conference women's basketball victory over Western Carolina at Belk Arena Saturday afternoon.

Murray was 6-of-7 from the floor, 2-for-2 from long distance and 9-for-9 from the charity stripe for the 'Cats (11-11, 6-7 SoCon). Katrin Chiemeka netted 10 points off the bench, getting seven of them at the charity stripe (7-for-7), and Sophia Aleksandravicius tallied nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds. With her 14 rebounds, she crossed the 400-mark for her career and it was the 16th time she has tallied double figures in rebounds during her two years.

Kaila'Shea Menendez led Western Carolina (6-16, 4-9 SoCon) with 21 points, and Rena Wakama scored 14.

The Wildcats held a 38-30 edge on the glass and converted 17 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points.

Aleksandravicius led the way with six offensive boards, and Jasmine Calin had five. The Wildcats also scored 23 points off of 19 Catamount turnovers.

Davidson scored the first seven points of the game, and Chloe Woodington's jumper in transition made the score 13-2 six minutes into the contest. The Catamounts were 1-for-11 from the field during the stretch.

The margin grew to as many as 13 points, and Davidson held a 31-20 cushion at the break. The Wildcats held Western Carolina to 24 percent shooting from the field, including 2-for-10 from long distance.

The Catamounts trimmed the lead to eight points early in the second period, but Davidson answered with five straight points, a layup by Kristen Johnson and a conventional 3-point play by Murray, to extend the advantage back to 13.

The 'Cats maintained the double-digit cushion until a Janae' McKinney free throw made the score 57-48 with 2:16 remaining. But Chiemeka answered with a pair of free throws, and Murray and Chiemeka combined to go 6-for-6 from the free-throw line inside the last 1:04 to ice the win.

Davidson opens a four-game road trip, its longest of the season, at College of Charleston Monday with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

GAME NOTE: Davidson is 6-2 in the last eight games… Murray went for 20-plus points for the second straight game after scoring a career-high 27 at Appalachian State Wednesday; she has done it four times this season… The 'Cats are in the midst of a stretch where they play seven games in 15 days … Barbara Sitton pocketed a career-high eight steals, three away from the single-game school record ... Davidson was 20-for-23 at the free throw line in the second half ... Aleksandravicius' four blocks moved her into second all-time with 123 and is just 11 away from passing all-time leader Meghan Bryant.