Three Double-Doubles Pace ‘Cats to Win over Catamounts

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DAVIDSON, N.C. — Senior Alex Thompson (Asheville, N.C.), sophomore Kristen Johnsen (Wayne, Pa.) and freshman Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) each tallied a double-double in guiding the Davidson Wildcats to a solid 75-65 win over Western Carolina on Monday evening in Southern Conference action at John M. Belk Arena.

Davidson earned the season-series sweep with the win as the 'Cats improved to an even 10-10 overall and 8-4 in SoCon play. WCU fell to 3-16 overall and 2-8 in league play.

The trio each hauled in 10 boards apiece, while Thompson and Johnsen poured in 10 points each and Aleksandravicius had a game-high tying 22 points. Senior Monica Laune (Ashland, Neb.) gave the 'Cats four players in double-figures with 13 points.

Thompson offset a poor shooting night (0-for-8) by netting all 10 of her points at the charity stripe (10-for-10), matching a career-high, and dished out a season-high eight assists. The senior helped the Wildcats ice the game by going a perfect 6-for-6 from the line in the last 45 seconds.

Johnsen set a career-best with her 10 boards, and Aleksandravicius, who was 8-of-10 from the floor, including a pair of three-balls, recorded her eighth double-double of the year and matched a season-best with five blocks.

Emily Clarke led two Catamounts in double-digits with 22 points and Jessica Jackson dropped in 14 points, nine of them in the last 30 seconds of the game.

Both teams were a bit sluggish to start, combining for just two field goals on 20 attempts in the first six minutes of the game. Davidson started to find its shot though around the 13:18 mark when it started an 11-2 run and never looked back.

The Wildcats used that run to jump to out to a 14-4 lead after a Aleksandravicius trey at the 9:21 mark. The freshman had 10 points and six boards in the first half.

Western cut it back to six, 14-8, after a Clarke jumper in the paint, but Davidson pushed it back to double digits at 25-14 on an 11-6 run, capped off by a Johnsen layup with 2:52 left in the half.

A pair of Thompson free throws gave the 'Cats a 12-point advantage, 32-20, at the intermission. While the offense was rolling, the 'Cats defense held the Catamounts to 22.2 percent shooting in the first half and forced them into eight turnovers. Western finished at 35.4 percent, the eighth time Davidson has held its opponent to under 36 percent shooting.

The lead would grow to 17 points (44-27) on Aleksandravicius' second three-ball through the first five minutes of the second half, and Davidson maintained a double-digit lead until the 7:40 mark when Kaila'Shea Menendez hit a layup for a 54-45 score.

Western got no closer than eight points the rest of the way and Davidson sealed its 10th win of the season by going 10-for-12 from the 15-foot line in the last minute and half. The Wildcats as a team matched a season-high by finishing 24-of-32 from the charity stripe.

Behind Thompson, Johnsen and Aleksandravicius' 30 combined rebounds, Davidson held a 47-40 advantage on the boards. It's the ninth time in the last 11 games the Wildcats have out-rebounded the opposition, and it's the ninth time this year they have hit the 40-board mark in a game.

Davidson wraps up its non-conference schedule with a 7 p.m. game at Radford this Friday, Jan. 29. The two teams were originally to play on Dec. 18, but a snow storm postponed the affair.

Game Notes: Coach Annette Watts is just two SoCon wins away from reaching 100 for her career ... Thompson's 10 rebounds was the second time this year she has hit for double figures in a game ... Aleksandravicius has six double-doubles vs. league foes ... Laune has scored a combined 63 points in the last four games, hitting double figures in all four contests ... it's the first time since the 2005-06 season Davidson has swept the season-series against Western Carolina ... Davidson's seven blocks matched a season-high ... the Wildcats have won six of their last seven home games.

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