SPORTS
Three in a Row, Women’s Basketball Nets 80-61 Home Win
Kianna Speight scored 21 points in the Wildcats win over La Salle.
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Senior Kianna Speight scored a season-high 21 points, helping Davidson take control in the second quarter, and the Wildcats rolled to an 80-61 Atlantic 10 win at home vs. La Salle in women’s basketball at John M. Belk Arena Sunday afternoon.
By every indication, freshman Cassidy Gould looks like she is taking this breakaway all the way to the basket.
Davidson (13-8) won its third straight and ran its league mark to 7-1, while sending the Explorers to 3-20 overall and 0-9 in A-10 play.
Speight scored 16 of her 21 points in the second quarter, drilling four three-pointers in the quarter, as the Wildcats turned a 15-11 lead into a 33-19 advantage. The shooting guard scored 11 during an 18-8 run in the quarter.
Speight finished 6-of-12 from the floor on the day, including 5-of-11 from behind the arc, and swished home all four free throws.
Joining her in double digits was the duo of Katie Turner (seven assists) and Justine Lyon with 15 points each, while Cassidy Gould filled the box score with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
At the last second, Gould passes the ball behind her back.
Sarah Donovan just missed a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds, getting a career-high tying eight on offense, and scored nine
points to go with four assists and four steals.
Davidson had a 46-37 advantage on the boards, including pulling in 20 offensive rebounds for its third game this year of at least 20 rebounds on offense.
La Salle had a pair of double-figure scorers, as Jeryn Reese and Janay Sanders scored 18 points apiece.
Davidson, which led 37-26 at halftime, grew its lead to 18 (58-40) in the third quarter on Speight’s fifth three-ball of the game and then pushed it to 23 twice in the fourth quarter on two free throws each from Gould and Turner for leads of 74-51 and 76-53.
Justine Lyon was ready and waiting, and took the behind-the-back pass and put it in for a layup. The play definitely made the highlight reel.
The ‘Cats’ defense forced 29 turnovers on the day, getting 17 steals and turning all those miscues into a season-high 35 points. In addition, they also scored a season-high 21 fastbreak points.
Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to Philadelphia, Pa., to take on Saint Joseph’s this coming Wednesday, Feb. 6.
GAME NOTES: This was the sixth meeting all-time between both team’s women’s basketball programs, as the series started when the ‘Cats joined the A-10 in 2014-15 … the Wildcats tied the series at 3-all with the win today … Davidson went 20-for-27 at the charity stripe, the fourth game of 20 or more made free throws this year … Speight’s 20-point outing was the fifth of her career … Donovan has 15 career double-digit rebounding games … second-year head coach Gayle Coats Fulks won her 25th game at Davidson … the Wildcats led for 35 of the 40 total minutes in the game … the win moved Davidson’s home record to 7-2.