Friday, November 14
Greenville, S.C.
6:00 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
at
Furman
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
The Season Begins, Davidson Play at Furman Friday Night
11/13/2014 1:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
Live Stats | Live Video at Furman
2014-15 Digital Media Guide
Game Notes- #1 at Furman (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
Ticket information for home games, click on season or single game to purchase tickets
DAVIDSON, N.C. — A new era begins for the Davidson women's basketball team as they open the 2014-15 season on the road Friday evening at Furman in Greenville, S.C. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
The Wildcats begin their first year as a member of the Atlantic 10 after a 21-year run in the Southern Conference. Guiding them into the A-10 will be fifth-year head coach Michele Savage, who was the 2011-12 SoCon Coach of the Year.
In preparation for the tip-off Friday, below is the season outlook for the 2014-15 Wildcats ...
The Wildcats' 2014-15 season begins its fifth year under the guidance of Michele Savage. The program will be entering a new era as Davidson moves to the Atlantic 10 after a 20-year run in the Southern Conference that started in 1993-94. The Wildcats will be looking to make an early impression as they will be playing 11 of the 13 A-10 members for the first time.
"We are looking forward to joining a prestigious conference like the A-10," said head coach Michele Savage. "The A-10 has continued to build
its brand to become one of the top women's basketball conferences in the country and we feel very fortunate to be a part of the conference. We have a wonderful group of young ladies that are excited about the challenge of a new conference and as well as a competitive non-conference schedule. They have been working extremely hard in the preseason and in practice to improve their skills and strength."
Davidson is coming off a 16-16 season a year ago and finished off their final season in the league by reaching the SoCon Tournament for the second straight year.
The Wildcats will have to replace three-time All-SoCon First Team pick Laura Murray, who became Davidson's all-time leading scorer with 1,880 points. She set the record on her last career bucket in the SoCon tournament final. Murray was also the league's freshman of the year in 2011.
Returning and helping fill some of the void is All-SoCon performers Dakota Dukes and Hannah Early. The duo were second and third, respectively, in scoring last year for Davidson. In all, seven letterwinners return looking to guide the Wildcats to yet another successful campaign.
What are some key factors for the team to continue its success from the past two years?
Coach Savage: "We have had success with a combination of balanced scoring inside and out. I think for us to continue to be successful we have to increase our balance and get more people involved on both ends of the floor.
With this being the first year in the Atlantic 10 for Davidson, what are some goals you and the team would like to accomplish?
Coach Savage: "We have played A-10 members in the past and recognize the level of play is different from the Southern Conference. Our goal is to be competitive in every game and take one game at a time. We also want to improve as a unit with every game and hopefully we will be playing our best basketball come tournament time."
2013-14 Quick Recap: One Last Run in the SoCon
The Wildcats finished with an even .500 record at 16-16 overall and 11-7 in SoCon action. It was the 11th time in the past 12 years they had earned double-digit wins in league games as they finished third in the standings. For the second year in a row, and just the third time in program history, Davidson reached the SoCon Championship game, before its season came to an end with a defeat to Chattanooga.
Davidson had an outstanding three-year final run in the SoCon, going a combined 60-39 overall and 44-14 in league games. It had back-to-back 22-win seasons during that stretch and captured the program's first regular season title in 2011-12 with a school-best league record of 17-3. In addition, the Wildcats reached the SoCon Championship game in both 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Individually last year, Murray set the school record for points on her way to being named to the All-SoCon First Team on both the media and coaches teams. It was a career year for the Harrisburg, Pa. native. The shooting guard averaged a career-best 19.3 points per game, good for second-best in a Wildcat single season, while also setting the program's all-time three-point mark with 222. On her way to helping the 'Cats reach the SoCon Championship game, Murray became the program's first player to be named to the all-tournament first team three times.
Also gone due to graduation is guard Shneeka Center, who provided the Wildcats with a nice scoring burst off the bench last year. She tied her career-high by averaging 7.5 points a game, while being a force on the glass as well. She pulled in a personal-best 157 total rebounds (5.1 rpg), including 77 on the offensive end.
2014-15 Returners
The pieces that return for Savage are seven letterwinners, which starts with All-SoCon performers Dukes and Early. The duo averaged career highs of 14.4 and 13.3 points, respectively.
Add in the pieces of three seniors, a pair of sophomores and four newcomers, it all sets up the 'Cats for what they hope is a solid year in their first season in the Atlantic 10.
How do you replace the program's all-time leading scorer and arguably one of the best shooting guards in Davidson history?
Coach Savage: "I think we will have to do a lot of things by committee starting with replacing her scoring. We realize that Laura brought a lot of things to this team over her four years and we will have to replace those things as a team. I think we will be able to make up for her scoring, but will have to commit as a team to making up for those other intangibles she had."
Cracking the Lineup: Backcourt and Front
The Wildcats return four of their five starters. Pacing the backcourt is Eriksson and McCabe, while Dukes and Early will lead the frontcourt. Eriksson set personal highs in nearly every offensive and defensive category as she started 25 of the 'Cats' 31 games. The senior hit a team-best 80.6 percent of her free throws. McCabe started all 32 games and gives Davidson a threat from long range.
Helping round out the backcourt is junior Alexandra Long, Kayla Seymour and Melanie Ransom. Long was one of the first off the bench, playing in all 32 games and getting seven starts. She hit 80.6 percent of her free throw attempts, good for second on the team.
Seymour (transfer) and Ransom (injured) will be suiting up for the first time after sitting out all of last year. Seymour transferred from University of Maryland Baltimore County, while Ransom was injured in the preseason during her freshman campaign.
The freshmen duo of Saadia Timpton and Diona Johnson will also see extented time at the guard positions too.
The frontcourt will be anchored by juniors Dukes and Early, in addition to Mellissa Giegerich, Rachel Piles and freshman Mackenzie Latt.
Early led the SoCon in three-point shooting, hitting 41.7 percent of her three-pointers and scored in double figures 21 times out of her 32
games played. Dukes followed up her solid debut season with an even better sophomore campaign last year. The rising junior, who was named to the All-SoCon First Team by the coaches, had a career-high nine double-doubles and set the school's single-season record for free throws by going 147-of-193. Dukes also hit the 30-point mark twice in wins vs. Wofford.
The 6-foot-6 Giegerich will give Coach Savage depth off the bench. Sophomore Rachel Piles was a key contributor as a freshman, playing all 32 games and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
Latt, along with the other two freshmen, had a very success prep career and will be looking to carry it over to the collegiate level. She averaged a double-double last year of 16.9 points and 11.6 rebounds in leading Richland Gull Lake (Mich.) to a 20-win campaign..
There are three freshmen this year (Saadia Timpton, Diona Johnson and Mackenzie Latt), along with first-year player Melanie Ransom, who missed all of her freshman season due to a pre-season injury. Talk about what they bring to the table.
Coach Savage: "Melanie has recovered well from her preseason injury a year ago and will bring versatility at the guard position for us. Mackenzie is a strong fundamental forward, who can face up and play the perimeter, but also because of her size, she will add to our scoring and rebounding inside.
Diona and Saadia will give us even more depth across the positions. Diona is a very versatile player that can play either the one, two or three spot. She is a solid rebounder from the guard position and has a scorer's mentality. Saadia comes from a very success program at Myers Park in Charlotte, where this past year she helped the Mustangs capture the N.C. 4A State Championship title. She is a tremendous athlete and a great defensive player. She's intense and that will contribute in games and practice.
I'm expecting all four to contribute right away and give us depth at all the positions."
The 2014-15 Schedule
Davidson, which became an official member of the A-10 on July 1, will face each of the 13 conference opponents during the 16-game league slate that features eight home and eight away games. The Wildcats open league play with a three-game homestand starting January 4 against La Salle.
In addition to their 16-game league schedule, the Wildcats' non-conference schedule has them facing the likes of North Carolina State, Rutgers and Charlotte all on the road, while hosting Pac-12 foe Southern California. They will also take on former SoCon opponent Furman, while playing at Big South foes Gardner-Webb and Winthrop, and hosting High Point.
The Holiday Inn University Area Cavalier Tournament hosted by Virginia also highlights the non-conference slate.
"Our schedule this year is one of the toughest we have had since I have been here," said Savage. "I feel that our non-conference schedule will challenge our team as well as prepare us for our top-level opponents in the A-10. The A-10 has been amongst the elite conferences for women's basketball and we look forward to a very competitive first year in the league."
For a full inside look at the schedule, check out the release of the 2014-15 schedule by clicking here.
A Look Ahead
Davidson plays its home opener at John M. Belk Arena Monday, Nov. 17, when it hosts for the first time Southern California at 7 p.m.
2014-15 Digital Media Guide
Game Notes- #1 at Furman (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
Ticket information for home games, click on season or single game to purchase tickets
DAVIDSON, N.C. — A new era begins for the Davidson women's basketball team as they open the 2014-15 season on the road Friday evening at Furman in Greenville, S.C. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
The Wildcats begin their first year as a member of the Atlantic 10 after a 21-year run in the Southern Conference. Guiding them into the A-10 will be fifth-year head coach Michele Savage, who was the 2011-12 SoCon Coach of the Year.
In preparation for the tip-off Friday, below is the season outlook for the 2014-15 Wildcats ...
The Wildcats' 2014-15 season begins its fifth year under the guidance of Michele Savage. The program will be entering a new era as Davidson moves to the Atlantic 10 after a 20-year run in the Southern Conference that started in 1993-94. The Wildcats will be looking to make an early impression as they will be playing 11 of the 13 A-10 members for the first time.
"We are looking forward to joining a prestigious conference like the A-10," said head coach Michele Savage. "The A-10 has continued to build
its brand to become one of the top women's basketball conferences in the country and we feel very fortunate to be a part of the conference. We have a wonderful group of young ladies that are excited about the challenge of a new conference and as well as a competitive non-conference schedule. They have been working extremely hard in the preseason and in practice to improve their skills and strength."Davidson is coming off a 16-16 season a year ago and finished off their final season in the league by reaching the SoCon Tournament for the second straight year.
The Wildcats will have to replace three-time All-SoCon First Team pick Laura Murray, who became Davidson's all-time leading scorer with 1,880 points. She set the record on her last career bucket in the SoCon tournament final. Murray was also the league's freshman of the year in 2011.
Returning and helping fill some of the void is All-SoCon performers Dakota Dukes and Hannah Early. The duo were second and third, respectively, in scoring last year for Davidson. In all, seven letterwinners return looking to guide the Wildcats to yet another successful campaign.
What are some key factors for the team to continue its success from the past two years?
Coach Savage: "We have had success with a combination of balanced scoring inside and out. I think for us to continue to be successful we have to increase our balance and get more people involved on both ends of the floor.
With this being the first year in the Atlantic 10 for Davidson, what are some goals you and the team would like to accomplish?
Coach Savage: "We have played A-10 members in the past and recognize the level of play is different from the Southern Conference. Our goal is to be competitive in every game and take one game at a time. We also want to improve as a unit with every game and hopefully we will be playing our best basketball come tournament time."
2013-14 Quick Recap: One Last Run in the SoCon
The Wildcats finished with an even .500 record at 16-16 overall and 11-7 in SoCon action. It was the 11th time in the past 12 years they had earned double-digit wins in league games as they finished third in the standings. For the second year in a row, and just the third time in program history, Davidson reached the SoCon Championship game, before its season came to an end with a defeat to Chattanooga.
Davidson had an outstanding three-year final run in the SoCon, going a combined 60-39 overall and 44-14 in league games. It had back-to-back 22-win seasons during that stretch and captured the program's first regular season title in 2011-12 with a school-best league record of 17-3. In addition, the Wildcats reached the SoCon Championship game in both 2012-13 and 2013-14.Individually last year, Murray set the school record for points on her way to being named to the All-SoCon First Team on both the media and coaches teams. It was a career year for the Harrisburg, Pa. native. The shooting guard averaged a career-best 19.3 points per game, good for second-best in a Wildcat single season, while also setting the program's all-time three-point mark with 222. On her way to helping the 'Cats reach the SoCon Championship game, Murray became the program's first player to be named to the all-tournament first team three times.
Also gone due to graduation is guard Shneeka Center, who provided the Wildcats with a nice scoring burst off the bench last year. She tied her career-high by averaging 7.5 points a game, while being a force on the glass as well. She pulled in a personal-best 157 total rebounds (5.1 rpg), including 77 on the offensive end.
2014-15 Returners
The pieces that return for Savage are seven letterwinners, which starts with All-SoCon performers Dukes and Early. The duo averaged career highs of 14.4 and 13.3 points, respectively.
Add in the pieces of three seniors, a pair of sophomores and four newcomers, it all sets up the 'Cats for what they hope is a solid year in their first season in the Atlantic 10.
How do you replace the program's all-time leading scorer and arguably one of the best shooting guards in Davidson history?
Coach Savage: "I think we will have to do a lot of things by committee starting with replacing her scoring. We realize that Laura brought a lot of things to this team over her four years and we will have to replace those things as a team. I think we will be able to make up for her scoring, but will have to commit as a team to making up for those other intangibles she had."
Cracking the Lineup: Backcourt and Front
The Wildcats return four of their five starters. Pacing the backcourt is Eriksson and McCabe, while Dukes and Early will lead the frontcourt. Eriksson set personal highs in nearly every offensive and defensive category as she started 25 of the 'Cats' 31 games. The senior hit a team-best 80.6 percent of her free throws. McCabe started all 32 games and gives Davidson a threat from long range.
Helping round out the backcourt is junior Alexandra Long, Kayla Seymour and Melanie Ransom. Long was one of the first off the bench, playing in all 32 games and getting seven starts. She hit 80.6 percent of her free throw attempts, good for second on the team.
Seymour (transfer) and Ransom (injured) will be suiting up for the first time after sitting out all of last year. Seymour transferred from University of Maryland Baltimore County, while Ransom was injured in the preseason during her freshman campaign.
The freshmen duo of Saadia Timpton and Diona Johnson will also see extented time at the guard positions too.
The frontcourt will be anchored by juniors Dukes and Early, in addition to Mellissa Giegerich, Rachel Piles and freshman Mackenzie Latt.
Early led the SoCon in three-point shooting, hitting 41.7 percent of her three-pointers and scored in double figures 21 times out of her 32
games played. Dukes followed up her solid debut season with an even better sophomore campaign last year. The rising junior, who was named to the All-SoCon First Team by the coaches, had a career-high nine double-doubles and set the school's single-season record for free throws by going 147-of-193. Dukes also hit the 30-point mark twice in wins vs. Wofford.The 6-foot-6 Giegerich will give Coach Savage depth off the bench. Sophomore Rachel Piles was a key contributor as a freshman, playing all 32 games and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
Latt, along with the other two freshmen, had a very success prep career and will be looking to carry it over to the collegiate level. She averaged a double-double last year of 16.9 points and 11.6 rebounds in leading Richland Gull Lake (Mich.) to a 20-win campaign..
There are three freshmen this year (Saadia Timpton, Diona Johnson and Mackenzie Latt), along with first-year player Melanie Ransom, who missed all of her freshman season due to a pre-season injury. Talk about what they bring to the table.
Coach Savage: "Melanie has recovered well from her preseason injury a year ago and will bring versatility at the guard position for us. Mackenzie is a strong fundamental forward, who can face up and play the perimeter, but also because of her size, she will add to our scoring and rebounding inside.
Diona and Saadia will give us even more depth across the positions. Diona is a very versatile player that can play either the one, two or three spot. She is a solid rebounder from the guard position and has a scorer's mentality. Saadia comes from a very success program at Myers Park in Charlotte, where this past year she helped the Mustangs capture the N.C. 4A State Championship title. She is a tremendous athlete and a great defensive player. She's intense and that will contribute in games and practice.
I'm expecting all four to contribute right away and give us depth at all the positions."
The 2014-15 Schedule
Davidson, which became an official member of the A-10 on July 1, will face each of the 13 conference opponents during the 16-game league slate that features eight home and eight away games. The Wildcats open league play with a three-game homestand starting January 4 against La Salle.
In addition to their 16-game league schedule, the Wildcats' non-conference schedule has them facing the likes of North Carolina State, Rutgers and Charlotte all on the road, while hosting Pac-12 foe Southern California. They will also take on former SoCon opponent Furman, while playing at Big South foes Gardner-Webb and Winthrop, and hosting High Point.
The Holiday Inn University Area Cavalier Tournament hosted by Virginia also highlights the non-conference slate.
"Our schedule this year is one of the toughest we have had since I have been here," said Savage. "I feel that our non-conference schedule will challenge our team as well as prepare us for our top-level opponents in the A-10. The A-10 has been amongst the elite conferences for women's basketball and we look forward to a very competitive first year in the league."
For a full inside look at the schedule, check out the release of the 2014-15 schedule by clicking here.
A Look Ahead
Davidson plays its home opener at John M. Belk Arena Monday, Nov. 17, when it hosts for the first time Southern California at 7 p.m.
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