SPORTS

 

DAVIDSON, N.C.  — Katie Turner scored a game-high 21 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter in helping Davidson get back on the winning track with a 79-76 win at home vs. Duquesne Sunday in their annual Play4Kay game inside John M. Belk Arena.

The Wildcats (14-11, 7-5 A-10) snapped a four-game skid, while sending the Dukes to 16-9 overall and 6-6 in Atlantic 10 play.

Turner scored all 11 points in the final six minutes of the game and hit a couple clutch three-balls that helped the Wildcats erase a one-point deficit. She and Cassidy Gould drilled three-pointers on back-to-back possessions that turned a 60-59 deficit into a 65-60 lead with 6:08 on the clock.

Her second clutch triple came from deep behind the line at the 1:37 mark and gave Davidson a five-point cushion after Duquesne closed to within 70-68. Turner then swished home 3-of-4 free throws in the last 29 seconds to make 78-74.

Cameron Tabor sealed the win with a free throw with 13 seconds to go as the Dukes air-balled a last-second three attempt.

In addition to her 21-point outing, 12 of which came from downtown on 4-of-7 shooting, Turner had game highs of seven rebounds and five assists. She moved into third all-time in the Wildcats’ record book in career assists (346).

Chloe Welch and Adelaide Fuller scored 11 points each in the first half, with Welch going on to net a career-high 20 for the game. Tabor finished with 12 points, seven coming in the fourth quarter.

The Dukes also had four double-digit scorers, paced by Paige Cannon’s 18 points. Amaya Hamilton scored 14 off the bench, while Amanda Kalin and Libby Bazelak added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Hamilton had given Duquesne a brief one-point lead (60-59) capping off a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats answered with an 8-1 spurt, highlighted by the threes from Gould and Turner, to go back up 68-61 with 4:46 to go.

Both teams went off for 22 points each in the third quarter, with Duquesne opening the quarter on a 13-7 run to go up 45-44 before Davidson came right back and scored 15 of the final 24 points to hold a 59-54 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats opened the game hitting seven of their first 10 shots and raced out to a 17-8 lead, with Welch and Fuller combining for 12 of those points. They ended the quarter with a 17-12 lead.

A 10-2 spurt to open the second quarter had the ‘Cats up 27-14 with 7:39 on the clock. Later, a pair of free throws by Fuller made it 35-23 with 2:58 remaining, but Duquesne answered by closing the quarter on a 9-2 run to get within five at the half, 37-32.

Davidson finished just under 50 percent shooting for the game, coming in at 49.1 percent on 27-of-55, and nailed 10 three-pointers to go with game highs of 33 rebounds and 15 assists. Duquense shot 46.3 percent on 25-of-54 shooting and went 21-for-26 at the charity stripe.

The Wildcats remain at home and will host Saint Joseph’s this coming Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: This was ninth meeting all-time between both team’s women’s basketball programs …. Davidson moved to 3-6 in the series, riding a two-game winning streak …. Turner moved closer to 1,000 career points, sitting now at 990 … the Wildcats four double-digit scorers was the 13th time this year it has accomplished the feat … the Wildcats had two players scorer 20-plus points in the same game for the first time since at Dayton, Feb. 20, 2019.