‘Cats Close Regular Season With 72-46 Win on Senior Night

Monday, March 4

Davidson, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Davidson College

19-11, 16-4SoCon

Western Carolina

7-22, 5-15SoCon

Western Carolina

Davidson

Hannah Early swished home 3-of-4 shots from behind the arc as Davidson went 6-for-10 in the game.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

‘Cats Close Regular Season With 72-46 Win on Senior Night

3/4/2013 9:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Game Highlights
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DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson women's basketball team got back on the winning track led by Sophia Aleksandravicius and her four senior teammates as the Wildcats snapped a two-game skid with a 72-46 victory against Western Carolina on Senior Night in Southern Conference action in front of a crowd of 712 at John M. Belk Arena.

Aleksandravicius registered her seventh 20-point game of the season, dropping in 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting with a pair of free throws and added eight boards to go with four steals. The senior set a new Wildcat single-season record for rebounds, giving her 296.

Davidson closed out the regular season at 19-11 and 16-4 in SoCon play, which is the second-best mark in program history.

Hannah Early tallied her first career double-double with 11 points, canning three of the 'Cats' six treys, and pulled in a career-best 10 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Shannon Eriksson reached double-digits for the first time in her career, netting 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2-for-3 from downtown.

Western Carolina (7-22, 5-15 SoCon) put a pair in double digits, led by Erika Joseph's 16 points and eight boards off the bench. Shauna Terry chipped in 11 points and matched Joseph with eight rebounds.

Davidson shot 48.3 percent for game and hauled in a season-best 50 rebounds, while dishing out 20 assists on 28 made field goals. The defense held the Catamounts to 31.7 percent shooting and just 32 boards.

The Wildcats' five seniors made sure they would leave their final home game in winning style. The senior led starting lineup jumped out to an 11-4 advantage behind Sarah Davis' five points before the first media timeout. Barbara Sitton and Jasmine Calin (7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) each assisted on Davis' buckets in the paint.

Davidson's lead would grow to 28-14 on Laura Murray's back-to-back three-point plays, and the Wildcats went into the break up 36-19.

The 'Cats defense highlighted the first seven minutes of the second half, holding WCU scoreless, while pushing its lead to 45-19 on a Katrin Chiemeka layup.

A Calin three-ball, the first attempt of her career at one, made it 64-34 at the 5:46 mark and Davidson never looked back in rolling to its fifth 20-point win of the season.

The Wildcats head to Asheville, N.C., this weekend, March 8-11, for the SoCon Tournament. They will play Saturday, March 9, at 4:30 in Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville.

GAME NOTES: The Wildcats have won 15 of its last 19 games … Davidson had won last five meetings and eight of past 10 overall in the series vs. Western … Davidson has won 28 of its last 34 SoCon games dating back to last January 13, 2012 … the Wildcats finished 9-2 at home overall and 8-2 in SoCon games … they have won 25 of their past 29 games at Belk Arena dating back to Jan. 31, 2011 … Aleksandravicius recorded her 26th career 20-point game and 99th career double-digit scoring game.