SPORTS
Women’s Basketball Defeats Georgetown in Season Opener
Sarah Donovan’s double-double helped guide the Wildcats win over Georgetown.
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson had four players score in double figures, led by Sarah Donovan’s double-double, and it held Georgetown to 30.8 percent shooting in securing a season and home-opening win, 66-52, Tuesday evening in women’s basketball inside John M. Belk Arena.
The Wildcats (1-0) opened up a 22-10 lead after the first quarter and never looked back in earning their third consecutive season opening win, all under head coach Gayle Fulks.
Sophomore Cassidy Gould hit double digits in the game.
Donovan hauled in a career-high 16 rebounds (11 on defense) and dropped in 12 points. The Australian trio of Suzi-Rose Deegan, Adelaide Fuller and Cassidy Gould all hit for double digits. In her collegiate debut, Deegan came off the bench to pace the ‘Cats with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and pulled in eight rebounds to go with two assists and two steals.
Fuller also enjoyed a strong debut game, scoring 10 points and adding three rebounds along with her first career block. The sophomore Gould rounded out the trio with 10 points and tied Katie Turner (9 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) with five dimes.
Davidson had 17 assists on 25 made field goals and dominated on the glass with a 46-38 advantage, hauling in 16 offensive rebounds for 17 second-chance points. It also scored 13 fast-break points and 30 in the paint.
Georgetown (0-1) was led by Nikola Kovacikova’s 12 points, while Anita Kelava had 10 points and nine rebounds. The Hoyas shot just 20-of-65 from the field, including only 3-for-18 from behind the arc.
Katie Turner couldn’t conceal her smile as the ‘Cats neared a 20-point lead over the Hoyas.
Turner opened the 2019-20 season with a corner triple, and Davidson was off and running. The Wildcats turned a brief 5-4 lead at the 5:43 mark in the first quarter to a 22-10 lead behind a 17-6 run.
The Wildcats doubled up the Hoyas in the second quarter, 12-6, for a 34-16 lead at the break. The lead would grow to 20 points in the third quarter on a layup from Deegan, who had 10 points and five rebounds in the quarter.
The lead was trimmed to 12 (59-47) in the fourth quarter with 2:48 to go, but Gould and Turner swished home back-to-back threes and the ‘Cats went on for the 14-point win.
Davidson heads to Philadelphia, Pa., to take on Drexel this Saturday, Nov. 9, in the first round of the Preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).
GAME NOTES: This was the first meeting all-time between both team’s women’s basketball programs … Davidson is 20-19 overall in home openers … The team moved to 13-28 in season-openers.