NEWS

The Wildcats' bench reacts as Charlise Dunn's 3-point shot goes through the net to tie the game with seconds to go in regulation. (News of Davidson photo)

The Davidson Women’s Basketball team had a major victory last Saturday, but as the headline suggests – the victory did not result in a win for the ‘Cats. Davidson squared off against the Baylor Bears in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Showcase held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fl.

Despite the odds, Davidson led the game at the end of the first quarter (14-13), at the half (34-31), and they were only down by five at the end of the third quarter (42-47). They closed that gap and finished regulation play at a 63-63 tie. The Wildcats took the Baylor Bears into overtime and only lost the game by two points when Baylor’s Yuting Deng scored with 3.8 seconds.

Baylor came into the game sitting at the #7 spot in national rankings. Talia Scott (#0) led the nation in scoring, and when the ‘Cats held her to 22 points, she dropped to fifth in the nation, averaging 25.3 points per game. The Bears’ program is a top 10 team and a perennial post-season tournament favorite. They have won three NCAA tournaments: 2005, 2012, and 2019. Their 2012 team did so without losing a game, and finished the season at 40-0.  Since their last win in 2019, they haven’t missed earning a tournament bid.

Program alumnae currently playing in the WNBA include Kalani Brown (Phoenix Mercury), DiJonai Carrington (Dallas Wings). Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream), Alexis Prince (Phoenix Mercury), Odyssey Sims (Los Angeles Sparks), and NaLyssa Smith (Dallas Wings).

This was not a fluke, Davidson has been playing well. The ‘Cats have earned double-digit victories over small and medium programs. But this game was special.  Charlise Dunn, the only senior on the roster, led the team in scoring with 33 points. She was joined by Katie Donovan and Edina Straus who also scored in the double digits, with 15 and 10 respectively. Eleven scholar-athletes were on the court against the Bears and the team exemplified head coach Gayle Fulks’ mantra of “share, shoot, and stifle.”

Davidson’s roster also shows the strength in their ability to recruit internationally. As has been the case for several years, the Australian contingent is the largest with four players from down under. Junior Katie Donovan (#7) is from the Gold Coast in Queensland, senior Chalise Dunn (#21) is from Victoria, first year Asha Nightingale (#23) is also from Victoria, and sophomore Emilie Bessell (#44) is from Sydney.

The Aussies are joined by first year Elena Alvarez Castellanos (#4) from Pamplona, Spain; first year Ines Garcia Monje (#10) from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; sophomore Angeliki Ziaka (#11) from Athens, Greece; sophomore Kyra Bruyndoncx (#14) from Mol, Belgium; sophomore Candice Lienafa (#17) from Ducos, Martinique; and sophomore Edina Strausz (#26) from Budapest, Hungary.

Lest we fail to mention the non-international scholar-athletes, junior Eliza Buerk (#0) is from Portland, Ore. ; junior Jasmine Timmerson (#3) is from Wexford, Pa.; sophomore Siena Dauer (#13) is from Bradenton, Fla.; junior Sylvie Jackson from Zion Crossroads, Va.; and sophomore Stephanie Gutierrez-Rodriguez (#33) is from Lake Tahoe, Calif.

The Wildcats are coached by head coach Gayle Fulks (in her ninth season), associate head coach James Janssen, assistant coach Jasmine Jenkins, assistant coach Laura Barry, and assistant coach/director of operations and development Ryan Bauder. Davidson College recently announced that Coach Fulks had extended her contract with the Wildcats through 2032.

Editor's note: In hindsight, I should have asked the Wildcats, “Now that you took #7 Baylor into overtime, what are you going to do to celebrate?” The answer would have been, of course, "We are going to Disney World." And the 'Cats, their coaches, and their families did just that - spending Sunday at the Magic Kingdom before returning to Davidson on Monday.

See our full News of Davidson album of photos from this game.