SPORTS

 

SAINT LOUIS, Mo.  — Suzi-Rose Deegan registered her second straight double-double and Davidson overcame a sluggish first quarter to secure a 65-58 win on the road at Saint Louis in both team’s Atlantic 10 opener Saturday evening inside the Chaifetz Arena.

Davidson halted a three-game skid moving to 8-6 on the season, while sending the Billikens to 8-6 as well.

Deegan, coming off a double-double at Florida, scored a game-high 25 points and hauled in a new season best in rebounds with 14. She had 16 points in the second half, 11 of which came in the third quarter when the Wildcats went ahead for good.

Falling behind 10-0 to open the game and 19-7 after the first quarter, Davidson rattled off a 40-16 spurt that started in the second quarter and finished up at the end of the third. It turned a 21-9 deficit into a 49-37 advantage. The Wildcats scored 28 of those points in the third quarter, shooting 12-of-19 from the floor and holding SLU to 4-of-18.

The ‘Cats’ led by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but saw the Billikens make one last push to get within three at 61-58 and 28 seconds left. They iced the win by getting a combined four free throws from Ally Welling, Deegan and Cassidy Gould.

Gould hit the double-digit mark for the second time with 11 points and dished out four assists. Katie Turner and Chloe Welch had nine points each.

Saint Louis had a pair reach double figures, with Ciaja Harbison scoring 13 point and Kendra Wilken getting a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds. Brooke Flowers had 12 rebounds to help the Billikens to a 49-37 advantage in rebounds.

Davidson turned things around in the second quarter, holding the Billikens scoreless for over eight minutes, 2-of-15 shooting and just five total points in the quarter. On the other end, their offense used a 12-0 run to tie things up at 21-all before SLU converted on a three-point to take a 24-21 lead at the half.

The Wildcats finished the game shooting 41.3 percent (26-of-63), while holding SLU to 21-of-68 for 30.9 percent, including just 5-of-21 from behind the arc.

Davidson will next return home for its annual Education Day game, hosting Fordham Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m.

GAME NOTES: This was the eighth meeting all-time between both team’s women’s basketball programs …. Davidson won its second straight in the series and moved to 3-5 vs. the Billikens … Deegan recorded her third 20-point outing on the season … she has now hit the double-digit mark in points seven straight games and 10 of the past 11 overall … the Wildcats scored 38 points in the paint and had its second-lowest turnover total with just eight … Davidson also had a 15-2 advantage in fast-break points … the ‘Cats improved to 2-4 in A-10 openers and 14-13 overall in league openers, with a 5-7 record when opening league play on the road.