SPORTS
Women’s Basketball Winning Streak Ends with Loss to UMass
Sarah Donovan took this one in for a layup in the game versus the UMass Minutewomen.
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson suffered its first Atlantic 10 setback and saw several of its winning streaks come to an end Sunday afternoon in a 70-58 defeat to visiting UMass inside John M. Belk Arena.
The Wildcats fell to 10-8 overall and 4-1 in A-10 play. They had their season-high four-game winning streak end along with their six-game league streak dating back to the end of last season, which was a program-best since joining the A-10. The ‘Cats also saw a five-game home win streak halted as well as their three-game A-10 home win streak end.
Davidson was within two (49-47) and four points (57-53 with 4:18 left), respectively, in the closing quarter, but UMass (11-8, 3-2 A-10) pulled away with a 13-5 run to end the game.
Three players reached double figures for the ‘Cats, led by Katie Turner’s 15 points. Cassidy Gould netted 12 points, all on a career-best four three-pointers, and pulled in a personal-high nine rebounds, while Sarah Donovanhad 10 points and eight rebounds.
Ally Welling finished with eight points and eight rebounds to go with a pair of blocks.
The Minutewomen’s Vashnie Perry scored a game-high 18 points, while Hailey Leidel (15) and Genesis Rivera (12) also reached double digits.
UMass as a team shot 45.1 percent, going 9-of-19 from behind the arc and 15-of-19 at the free throw line, while Davidson was never able to shake off a cold shooting first quarter and finished at 31.3 percent. It did swish home nine threes while holding a 40-34 edge on the glass.
Justine Lyon had given the Wildcats a brief 31-30 lead at the 8:11 mark in the third quarter, but it was the last lead they would have as UMass went on a 17-5 run over the next seven minutes to take a 47-36 lead and eventually a 49-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Despite shooting just 4-for-18 in the first quarter and 8-for-31 overall in the first half, Davidson was down just one at the break, 27-26.
Gould helped spark a 12-4 run to close the second quarter with a pair of three-pointers and the Wildcats, which trailed 22-14 halfway through the quarter, got within one heading into the locker room.
Davidson has a six-day break before heading to Fordham next Sunday, Jan. 27, for a 2 p.m. A-10 game.
GAME NOTES: This was the seventh meeting all-time between both team’s women’s basketball programs … the Wildcats fell to 2-5 in the series … Davidson fell to 6-2 on the season at home … Lyon (3 points) saw her nine-game double-figure scoring streak end … She did move into 10th place all-time in scoring … Davidson has had at least three double figure scores in a game 15 of the 18 games this year.