Winthrop Hands Wildcats First Defeat in Home Opener

Friday, November 15

Davidson, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

2-1

Winthrop

2-0

Team	1	2	F
Winthrop	52	39	91
Davidson	38	38	76

Dakota Dukes followed her first career double-double at Mt. St. Mary's with a career-best 22 points.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Winthrop Hands Wildcats First Defeat in Home Opener

11/15/2013 10:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score (html)
Game Highlights
DavidsonPhotos.com

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Winthrop's Dequesha McClanahan and Erica Williams scored 29 and 26 points, respectively, as the duo helped the Eagles spoil Davidson's home opener Friday night, 91-76, at Belk Arena in women's basketball action.

The Wildcats (2-1) dropped their first game of the young season as they were unable to overcome a hot-shooting Winthrop (2-0) squad that raced out to a 14-point halftime lead and led by as many as 17 in the game.

Davidson put three players in double figures, led by Dakota Dukes' career-high 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with seven boards.

Hannah Early followed with a 19-point effort, while Laura Murray scored 16 to go with her five assists. Shneeka Center pulled in a personal-best 12 rebounds and dropped in nine points off the bench.

Joining the Eagles' McClanahan and Williams in double digits was Schaquilla Nunn with 11 points and Samiya Wright with 10. Nunn had a double-double adding 13 rebounds, while Taylor Calvert also hit double digits with 10 boards.

Winthrop finished the game shooting 53 percent, including 62.9 percent (22-35) in the first half as it led 52-38 at the break.

After Early drained a three-pointer to tie things up at 12-all, the Eagles went on a 16-2 spurt and grabbed a 28-14 led with 11:51 on the clock. The lead would remain double digits the rest of the way. Davidson cut the deficit to 10 (46-36) on a Dukes' layup at 1:54, but Winthrop pushed it to 16 a minute later on a CiiCii Buford free throw and led by 14 at halftime.

Davidson tried to mount a comeback in the early stages of the second half, getting six points from Early, with her last bucket making it 58-49 with 15:16 on the clock. Shortly thereafter, Dukes' layin in the paint off a pass from Murray cut the Eagle lead to seven.

But it was short lived, as Winthrop's McClanahan pushed it back to ten (66-56) later on a jumper at 10:30. Davidson would come right back though, cutting it to six twice on Early's and Murray's jumpers over the next minute.

The Wildcats kept the deficit at single digits, getting to within seven on Dukes' jumper at the right elbow to make it 73-66 with 5:54 remaining. It would be as close as the 'Cats got as Winthrop rattled off a 13-4 run over in the next four minutes to put the game out of reach.

Both teams scored 44 points in the paint and dished out 16 assists apiece. Winthrop held a 44-37 edge on the glass.

Davidson returns to the road as it starts a four-game road swing at Wake Forest, Nov. 19.

GAME NOTES: Davidson fell to 10-5 all-time vs. Winthrop … the Wildcats are now 16-17 all-time in home-openers and fell to 3-1 in the past four under head coach Michele Savage … the 91 points allowed were the most by Davidson since giving up 101 against Missouri, Nov. 25, 2001 … Davidson is 43-18 at home the last five years.