Aleksandravicius’ Big Day Gives Wildcats SoCon and Home Opening Win 61-49

Saturday, December 1

Davidson, N.C.

4:00 p.m.

Davidson College

2-4, 1-0SoCon

Georgia Southern

1-3, 0-1SoCon

Georgia Southern

Davidson

Sophia Aleksandravicius

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Aleksandravicius’ Big Day Gives Wildcats SoCon and Home Opening Win 61-49

12/1/2012 7:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Game Highlights
Photo Gallery
Find Your Favorite Wildcat Action Shot at DavidsonPhotos.com

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) registered game highs of 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks in leading the Davidson Wildcats to a home and Southern Conference-opening 61-49 win against Georgia Southern Saturday afternoon at John M. Belk Arena in women's basketball action.

The 6-foot-5 senior dominated down on the blocks, hitting a season-best 10 field goals on her way to a season-high 24 points. She scored 14 points and picked up six of her eight blocks in the second half alone.

The double-double was Aleksandracivius' second in a row, third of the season and 33rd of her career. Her 20-point outing was the first of the year and 19th of her career, while her eight blocks were just one off her single-game school record nine she set last year.

Davidson (2-4 1-0 SoCon) led by as many 15 points three different times in the second period after taking a 30-21 lead into the break. Aleksandravicius twice gave the Wildcats its biggest lead at 48-33 and 50-35 on turn-around jumpers at the 9:41 and 6:19 marks.

MiMi Dubose paced the Eagles (1-3, 0-1 SoCon) with 21 points, hitting 8-of-14 shots with four of them coming from behind the arc. She also hauled in a team-best seven boards in helping the Eagles pull in 47 total rebounds.

Dubose got the Eagles to within nine after a trey from the wing to make it 54-45 with 3:53 remaining. But, sophomore Shannon Eriksson (Fairfax, Va.) answer that triple with one of her own on the Wildcats' next possession and the lead never went below 10 the rest of the way.

Eriksson was one of six 'Cats to score five or more points in the game. Dakota Dukes (Raleigh, N.C.) teamed with Aleksandravciuis on the blocks for six points and season highs of seven boards and three assists.

Up 12-10 with 12:20 left in the first half after the Eagles' Meredyth Frye hit a three-pointer to cut the Wildcat lead to two, Hannah Early (Huntersville, N.C.) sparked an 13-4 run over the next seven minutes with a triple of her own and the lead grew to 25-14. Aleksandravicius scored four points and Jasmine Calin (Miami, Fla.) swished home a pair of free throws during the run. Calin scored all seven of her points in the first half.

The Wildcat defense was solid, holding GSU to 33.3 percent shooting, while forcing 17 turnovers and turning those into 25 points.

Davidson stays at home and will host High Point Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men's team.

GAME NOTES: Davidson has won four straight in the series and 19 of the last 23 meetings to improve to 23-19 all-time … the Wildcats improved to 11-9 all-time in SoCon openers, 7-4 when opening at home … they evened their all-time home-opener record at 16-16 and are 6-2 in the last eight years … Aleksandravicius has 15 blocks in the last three games … the senior needs 114 more points and 18 more rebounds to be the program's all-time leader in both categories … Murray moved closer to 1,000 for her career, needing 116 points.