SPORTS

 

DAVIDSON, N.C. — With the 2021-22 college basketball season just six days away, the Davidson Wildcats will host Newberry College in a preseason exhibition on Friday night at 7 p.m. inside John M. Belk Arena. 

In accordance with Mecklenburg County and the Town of Davidson’s mandate, Davidson College and the Department of Athletics will require individuals, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor venues.

2021-22 Davidson Women’s Basketball Preseason Notes

VS. THE WOLVES

• Davidson and Newberry have met twice before, heading into Friday night, as the series began in December 2009. Most recently, the Wildcats took down Newberry in December 2019, as the ‘Cats toppled the Wolves in a 75-46 bout.
• Last time out against the Wolves, Suzi-Rose Deegan paced the ‘Cats with 17 points while Adelaide Fuller, Cameron Tabor and Chloe Welch all recorded 10 points apiece.
• The last two meetings against Newberry have occurred during the regular season, while Friday’s meeting will be a preseason exhibition match.

THE WILDCATS STRIKE BACK

• After a second round appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship last March, the Wildcats return nearly 81 percent of its scoring from a season ago including the team’s top returning scorer Chloe Welch, who averaged 16.2 points per game through 16 games in 2020-21.
• With a 15-player roster, Davidson will rely on its seven veterans (three seniors, four juniors) to lead the Wildcats’ eight underclassmen.
• Davidson returns four of its starters from last season, including senior Cassidy Gould who shot 44.7 percent from the floor and averaged 10.6 points per game in her junior year. One of Davidson’s five Australian natives, Gould had 10 double-digit scoring efforts in 2020-21, including four 20+ point performances and the first double-double of of her career.
• Frontcourt starters Sarah Konstans and Adelaide Fuller are also back for the Wildcats, as Konstans led the team in rebounding last season with 6.3 boards per game and Fuller averaged 8.9 points per game.
• In addition to Fuller, Davidson’s junior class comes with an abundance of experience in 2019-20 Rookie of the Year winner Suzi-Rose Deegan, forward Peyton Carter and point guard Cameron Tabor.
• Heading into her junior year, Deegan has been named to the Atlantic 10’s Preseason All-Conference Third Team, the league announced in late October. This is the second preseason All-Conference nod for the Marmion, Australia native.

NEW ‘CATS ON THE BLOCK

• In all, Davidson returns nine letterwinners and welcomes the addition of N.C. State transfer Elle Sutphin, along with the freshmen class of Issy Morgan, Tomisin Adenupe, Mallorie Haines, Kelby Bannerman and Maddie Prather.
• Still fairly new faces to the Wildcats are returners Keeley Evans and Sallie Schutz. Evans, a second-semester freshman from Melbourne, Australia, joined the ‘Cats last spring at mid-semester and Schutz has re-classified as a redshirt-freshman after an injury kept her sidelined during the 2020-21 campaign.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Davidson will tip off its season opener on Nov. 9 at Virginia Tech at 5 p.m. It will be just the third meeting between the Hokies and Wildcats since 2004, as the ‘Cats will look for their first victory against VT in program history.
• The Wildcats will host their home opener on Friday, Nov. 12 as Columbia University makes its return trip to Belk Arena, after the ‘Cats previously visited New York in December 2019.
• The 2021-22 schedule features 13 non-conference games (5 Home, 6 Away, 2 Neutral) and 16 Atlantic 10 matchups.
• Through the Atlantic 10’s robust media agreements and all-encompassing streaming agreement with ESPN+, every home game for all 14 league members will be available on TV or digitally this season.