Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC— Winthrop used a 10-2 run to finish the game to capture its first victory of the season in a 49-41 win over Davidson, Monday evening at the Winthrop Coliseum in non-conference women's basketball action.
With the game tied at 39-39 with 5:24 remaining, Mary Hathaway stepped up to help Winthrop to victory. Hathaway drove the lane and connected on a scoop shot to beat the shot clock for the lead. After a missed three-pointer on the other end, TaQuoia Hammick hit an eight foot turn-around jumper in the lane for the Lady Eagles biggest lead of the game. The defense stepped up on the Wildcats following possession and forced a turnover. Hathaway made the steal and led the two-on-one break as she gave the ball up to Dequesha McClanahan, who gave the ball right back for an easy lay-in and the foul for a 45-39 lead.
From that point Winthrop knocked down four straight free throws to seal the win. Winthrop is now 1-3 on the season while Davidson falls to 1-3.
“I am really proud of the girls tonight,” said Winthrop head coach Bud Childers. “I know it wasn't a masterpiece, but I know the girls in the locker room are very happy. This is the first time we have beaten Davidson since I have been at Winthrop. Davidson played a clever defensive game. This is a good win for us.”
It was a game that neither team were able to build a big enough lead to run away as the score was tied seven times and there were eight lead chances.
The Lady Eagles did fall behind 30-24 early into the second half as Laura Murray hit a jumper off a nice feed from Sophia Aleksandravicius and that was followed by an Ashley Lax triple to extend the halftime lead to six points. A couple of possession later, Tiffany Charles converted a three-point play to cut the lead down to three and Winthrop chipped away until it tied the game at 34-34 with 7:54 to play.
After a Charles jumper in the lane with 16:32 to go made it 30-29 Davidson, both teams went cold from the field. Winthrop stepped up the pressure to three-quarters court and over the next eight minutes for the Wildcats into 1-for-10 shooting and five turnovers.
Winthrop used the deep ball to get back into the game, trailing 34-30 with just over 12 minutes remaining. Both teams failed to score on their next few possessions until Lacey Lyons drilled her only three of the game for a one-point Davidson advantage. After McClanahan missed an opportunity to take the lead as she was 1-for-2 at the line, she stepped up and hit her only three of the game for the lead. Davidson answered right back to take a two point lead on another three by Lax with 6:02 left. That was the last lead Davidson had.
Winthrop led most of the first half until Davidson took its first lead of the game with 7:42 to go after an Aleksandravicius basket in the lane. Both teams battled it out over the final minutes of the first half until Aleksandravicius hit a jumper with 11 seconds remaining for a 25-24 lead at the break.
The key to the win for the Lady Eagles was defense as they forced 24 turnovers and scored 14 points off the Wildcats miscues. Winthrop struggled to get shots to fall all night as it finished 17-for-63 (27 percent) for the game. However, the Lady Eagles held Davidson to just 30 percent shooting.
Aleksandravicius led all scorers with 16 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double. She also had three assists, five blocks and two steals. Kristen Johnsen added 10 rebounds.
McClanahan led the Lady Eagles with nine points as Charles and Ashley Cox each added eight points. Cox started the game, but played just four minutes in the second half before leaving with an injury. Cox also had six rebounds and two steals. Charles finished with a career-high in rebounds (8) and steals (5). Hammick added six points and pulled in 11 boards. Lyons finished with seven points, five rebounds and two steals.
Winthrop will remain at home as it returns to action after Thanksgiving with a contest against Lander University at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27. The game is part of a double-header with the men's basketball team that will also face Lander at 7 p.m.
