SoCon Men’s Basketball Recaps for January 21, 2008
DAVIDSON 82, WESTERN CAROLINA 67
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Davidson’s Stephen Curry and Jason Richards combined for 47 points and 10 treys in an 82-67 Southern Conference men's basketball victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts Monday evening at the Ramsey Center.
It was Davidson's seventh consecutive victory and 19th straight regular season league triumph as it improves to 11-6 overall and 9-0, while WCU falls to 5-12 and 1-6.
Western Carolina sophomore Brandon Giles posted his eighth-consecutive double-digit scoring outing in Southern Conference play as three Catamounts scored in double figures against the Wildcats.
The loss snapped Western's three-game home winning streak and relegated the Catamounts to 5-12 overall, 1-6 in league play. It was Davidson's seventh consecutive victory and 19th-straight regular season league triumph as the Wildcats improved to 11-6 overall and 9-0 in the SoCon.
Western Carolina freshman Blake Gallagher had one of his best overall performances of his rookie season despite being saddled with foul trouble. The Monroe, N.C., native finished with a career-high tying 12 points and a game-high tying eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Sophomore Jake Robinson chipped in a dozen points off the bench, all coming from beyond the 3-point arc on 4-of-8 shooting.
Rounding out Western's scoring was freshman Michael Porrini, who just missed double figures with nine points, two assists and a pair of steals, with seniors Arnold Gore and Negus McKenna finishing with seven and four points, respectively.
Davidson (11-6, 9-0 SoCon) capitalized on a 10-0 spurt inside the final three minutes of the first half to take a 10-point advantage and balloon it to 20 to break open an otherwise tightly contested opening session. Using every second of the shot clock on nearly every possession, Western slowed the game with the two teams not combining for 20 points until midway through the frame.
Trailing by just one, 11-10, at the 10:32 mark, Western did not score for a six-minute stretch until Gore found Gallagher alone in the paint for two points. During the same stretch, though, the Catamount defense held Davidson in check, only allowing the Wildcats nine points which staked them to a 10-point edge, 20-10. Leading by the same margin, 26-16, Davidson exploded for the 10-unaswered points inside the final three minutes to go ahead 20, leading by 19 at intermission, 42-23.
All told, Davidson scored 16 points inside the final 2:30 after having been limited to just 26 through the first 17:30.
Out of the halftime locker room, Davidson used a 15-4 run in the opening minutes of the second half to push its advantage to 30, 57-27. Curry capped the stretch with a conventional 3-point play after he was fouled converting a lay-up on a fast break to give Davidson its largest of the game 4:37 into the frame. Western Carolina would not get closer than 15 points for the rest of the game, pulling to within 16 inside the final minute on a 3-pointer by Gore before Curry answered to provide the final tally.
The Wildcats put two in double figures led by 29 points from Curry on 10-for-19 shooting and added seven rebounds, four assists and five steals. Jason Richards finished with 18 points on a 6-for-9 night and recorded eight assists and four boards. Bryant Barr netted nine points off the bench for Davidson.