NEWS

Elle Sutphin recorded her third double double this season in the game vs. Dayton. [photo from earlier this season]

DAYTON, Ohio – The Davidson women’s basketball team battled through a tight second half with the Dayton Flyers during Atlantic 10 play on Wednesday night, but were unable to close a one-point gap for good, ultimately falling 66-60 from inside UD Arena.

Davidson won the battle on the glass with a season-high performance, 42-39, as Elle Sutphin recorded her third double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Suzi-Rose Deegan added 12 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Mallorie Haines shot 3-3 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points.

Dayton outscored Davidson 26-12 in the paint during the first half to take a 34-29 lead at the break, after leading 18-11 at the conclusion of the first.

The Wildcats settled in during the second quarter, shooting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and outscoring Dayton 18-16 in the frame. Sallie Schutzstarted the three-point brigade at the 9:37-mark before Issy Morgan hit another trey less than a minute later. After trailing 26-19 with five minutes to go, Haines hit back-to-back buckets that brought Davidson within one for the first time since opening tip. Deegan then closed out the frame with a kiss off the glass to make it 30-29, before Dayton closed out the half with four straight to take its five-point lead at the break.

A long-two from Morgan with 7:52 to go ignited the Wildcats in the third, cutting the deficit to three, 37-34. Sutphin kept the momentum rolling from there with a layup to put Davidson back within one. With 1:04 remaining, Sutphin later connected for two makes at the free throw line as the ‘Cats took their first lead of the night, 44-43. Before the end of the frame however, Dayton’s Destiny Bohanan hit a buzzer-beater jumper to take back the lead heading into the final frame.

Maddie Plank drove through the lane at the start of the fourth to regain the one-point lead for Davidson, before a three-pointer from the Flyers secured their lead for the remainder of the night. With 8:22 on the clock, Deegan and Sutphin scored five-straight to erase a six-point deficit, making it a 52-51 ball game, but Dayton punched back and took off with a 14-9 run to seal the victory.

Up Next
Davidson will return home for its first game inside Belk Arena in 2023 on Saturday, Jan. 14 for a 1 p.m. tip off with St. Bonaventure.