SPORTS

DAVIDSON, N.C. — In preparation for the NCAA’s official start date for college basketball season on November 25, the Davidson women’s basketball team will be tipping off its official practices with a four-day training camp, set to begin this afternoon. 

“This year has been very different,” said Head Coach Gayle Fulks. “We are taking a different approach to how we go about our preparation. With many new protocols due to Covid-19, these last six weeks we have been focusing on building a solid foundation for our season, often in smaller groups. Much of our work has been on things that happen every single game, and often on every single play. Our team has leaned on their collective experience to maximize this time and has built great chemistry with one another.”

The training camp will include full team practices from Friday to Monday, in addition to film and conditioning sessions.

“As we move into this weekend’s training camp, we are looking to add to that foundation and start implementing specific things we will need to do or that we will face this season in 5-on-5 scenarios,” Fulks added. “I am so excited to see our team come together during this important stretch.”

 

Return of the ‘Cats:

• After graduating just one senior last year, the Wildcats head into 2020-21 with a veteran-heavy lineup consisting of six seniors and three juniors.
• Davidson returns nearly 92 percent of its scoring from a season ago. 
• Among those returning includes Katie Turner (10.4 ppg, 37.3 3PT%) and Suzi-Rose Deegan (15.9 ppg, 7.7 rbg) who earned Third and First Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference honors, respectively. Deegan was also named the conference’s Rookie of the Year, the first time a Wildcat has earned that honor since joining the league in 2014.
• Sophomore Adelaide Fuller is one of Davidson’s top returning rebounders, after averaging 4.5 rebounds per game in her rookie season. The Australian native is also the ‘Cats’ top returning shot blocker with 15 last season.
  

  Adelaide Fuller taking it to the basket.

Need to Know:

• The Wildcats ended the 2019-20 campaign ranked third in scoring (65.3 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.400), second in made field goals (755), fourth in three-point percentage (.330) and fourth in threes per game (6.7) in the Atlantic 10. 
• After finishing 16-15 overall and 8-8 in conference play, Davidson advanced to the quarterfinals for a second straight year in the A-10 Women’s Basketball Championship last season.
• With last season’s record, the Wildcats posted their second straight winning season marking consecutive winning records for the program the first time since the 2011-12 & 2012-13 seasons.

What to Watch:

• Fulks has 45 wins in her three seasons at the helm of the Wildcats, season four will highlight Fulks looking for win #50 as a head coach.
• A winning record this year will be the first time Davidson women’s basketball has had a winning record for three straight seasons, since the ‘Cats did so for five consecutive seasons from 2003-04 to 2007-08.
• Turner moved to third all-time in career assists (372) after dishing 127 assists last season. She is 97 assists away from taking over the second all-time slot. 
• Turner is also a member of Davidson’s 1,000 point club and moved into fourth all-time with 199 career three pointers after draining 66 three’s last season. She continues to climb this program rank, as she is just 33 made-three’s away from taking over the program record. 
• Senior forward, Sarah Donovan, has 735 career points, and will look to become the 22nd member of Davidson women’s basketball’s 1,000 point club. Donovan has 531 career rebounds to date, and is 12 boards away from cracking into the Wildcats’ top-15 all-time career rebounders. 
• Deegan enters her sophomore season on the hunt for 500 career points as she already has 461 total points.