SPORTS

 

OLEAN, NY – After a 21-day hiatus, the Davidson Wildcats returned to the hardwood for their Atlantic 10 opener on Wednesday night, defeating St. Bonaventure 50-47 in the final seconds of regulation.

With 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the ‘Cats trailing 46-45, Chloe Welch found Cameron Tabor in the far corner, and the junior sank a 3-pointer to put Davidson in front 48-46 as the clock ticked down.

With a one-possession opportunity, St. Bonaventure tried to tie the game or win as they made a fast break down the court. With 3 seconds remaining Cameron Tabor fouled St. Bonaventure’s Lops. She missed the first free throw, but sank the second one.

The ‘Cats had a single point lead, 48-47 with those 3 seconds on the clock. The Bonnies only had one team foul at the time, and couldn’t send the ‘Cats to the line with a foul. Instead the ‘Cats had two inbound throws. The second of which was a long inbound pass. Elle Sutphin grabbed the shot, and hit a layup as the clock expired.

Elle Sutphin was crucial for the Wildcats in the win, scoring a game-high 20 points and recording her second 20-point game in as many outings. Junior Suzi-Rose Deegan added 10 points to the score sheet, and Welch had five points and eight rebounds, as Davidson improved to 10-3 and 1-0 in league play.

The ‘Cats got off to an explosive start inside the Reilly Center, leading 11-2 just six minutes in, thanks to a pair of layups each from Adelaide Fuller and Sutphin. After a 47.1 percent shooting effort from the floor in the first quarter, the Wildcats held the Bonnies to just 27.3 percent from the field on the other end and pushed their lead to 17-7 after one.

St. Bonaventure had its turn at a surge in the second quarter, opening up the frame on a 9-0 run before Deegan scored two straight baskets and halted the home team’s scoring run. Over the final two minutes of the frame, Sallie Schutz and Sutphin exchanged layups to help the ‘Cats close out the half on an 8-2 run and take a 25-18 lead into the break.

With the game tied at 32-all heading into the fourth quarter, both Davidson and St. Bonaventure turned up the heat over the final five minutes. As the ‘Cats led 39-34 with 3:42 remaining, the Bonnies went on a 5-0 run to tie things up once again, locked in at 39-39. From there, the two teams went back-and-forth and exchanged three baskets apiece, until St. Bonaventure led 46-45 with 35 seconds to go. Then, with 14 seconds on the clock, Welch drove through the lane and kicked a loose ball out to Tabor in the corner for the clutch 3-pointer.

The Wildcats shot 50 percent from the floor over the final 10 minutes of play, while the Bonnies went 4-of-10 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter and shot 7-of-15 overall on the line.

Up Next
Davidson will continue Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, Jan. 15 when the Wildcats host Duquesne for a 1 p.m. tilt. That game will feature tributes to former players as the team looks at the history of Wildcats Women’s Basketball.

 

NOTE: News of Davidson edited and/or added paragraphs 2-4 to more accurately describe the details of the end of the game.