Davidson Escapes With 69-65 Road Win at WCU

Monday, January 27

Cullowhee, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

Davidson College

10-10, 7-2SoCon

Western Carolina

9-11, 3-6SoCon

Davidson

Western Carolina Uni

Shneeka Center registered her third career double-double in the win at Western.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

1/27/2014 2:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score (html)
DavidsonPhotos.com

CULLOWHEE, N.C. — The Davidson women's basketball team shook off a cold-shooting first half to hit 56 percent of its second-half attempts and four Wildcats scored in double digits, including Shneeka Center and Dakota Dukes with double-doubles, to lead Davidson to a 69-65 road win at Western Carolina Monday in the Ramsey Center on Education Day.

Davidson (10-10, 7-2 SoCon) shot just 27 percent in the first half, but came out and hit 14-of-25 shots in the new half, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc, for 47 points on its way to winning its fifth game in the past seven.

Center finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, scoring 12 of her points in the second half. Dukes registered 11 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

Center brought the Wildcats back from five down (49-44) in the second half, helping spark a 11-3 run by canning a three-ball and then capped it off with a three-point play for a 55-52 Wildcat advantage and 5:25 of the clock. Davidson never trailed the rest of the way.

Laura Murray led all scores with 18 points, swishing home all seven of her free throws, and Hannah Early rounded out the four double-figure scorers with 12 points and eight boards.

Western Carolina (9-11, 3-6 SoCon) kept within five points in the final five minutes, but Davidson answered every time it scored.

The Wildcats sealed up the win by going 7-for-7 at the charity stripe in the last 19 seconds, with the two biggest free throws coming with two ticks left on the clock. Lindsay Simpson drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to two, 67-65, with three seconds left and Western quickly fouled Alex Long (9 points). Long hit the first of two free throws, and then after the Catamounts tried to ice her with a timeout, calmly hit the second for the final score of 69-65.

Justin Taylor led three Catamounts in double figures with 12 points off the bench, while Makensey Campbell and Kristen Lyon had 10 apiece.

Davidson went 18-for-21 at the free-throw line, including 14-for-16 in its big second half performance.

Neither team found any offensive rhythm in the first half, combining to shoot 19-for-66 from the field and 2-of-22 from three-land. The Wildcats started out just 5-of-22, including 0-for-7 from long range, but trailed just 14-13 after Center had an offensive putback with 7:35 on the clock.

Long gave Davidson a brief 22-21 lead later with 2:19 left on a baseline jumper with the shot clock winding down, but Western scored the last five points to go up 26-22 at halftime.

Davidson return home to Belk Arena for a 12 p.m. tip against Chattanooga Saturday, Feb. 1, in a battle of first and second place teams.

GAME NOTES: Davidson tied the all-time series at 25-all by winning its sixth straight and ninth in the last 10 meetings overall vs. WCU … today's game was the Wildcats' last trip to Cullowhee, N.C., as a member of the SoCon … head coach Michele Savage is now 6-1 vs. Western … Murray has scored in double figures in all but one game this year … five times the 'Cats have had four double figure scorers in a game … three times this year Davidson has had a pair of double-doubles in a game.