Murray Nets 24, Davidson Drops Close Contest at Rutgers 55-49

Sunday, November 25

Piscataway, N.J.

2:00 p.m.

Davidson College

1-3

Rutgers

3-1

Davidson

Rutgers

Laura Murray had her 14th career 20-point outing with a game-high 24 points vs. Rutgers

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Murray Nets 24, Davidson Drops Close Contest at Rutgers 55-49

11/25/2012 4:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Michele Savage Postgame Interview
Find Your Favorite Wildcat Action Shot at DavidsonPhotos.com

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Junior Laura Murray (Harrisburg, Pa.) went off for a season-high 24 points and nearly shot the Wildcats past Rutgers, but Davidson was unable to hold onto a late second half lead in falling 55-49 in a tightly-contested game at the Rutgers Athletic Center Sunday afternoon in non-conference women's basketball action.

Murray drilled home six three-pointers, one off her career-high, and finished 8-of-14 from the field for 24 points to go with four assists.

Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) also reached double digits with 12 points, while filling the stat sheet with nine boards, seven blocks, two assists and a steal. Her seven blocks were two off her single-game school record set last year.

Davidson, which saw its nine-point halftime lead disappear after an 11-0 run by Rutgers to open the second half, turned a 38-37 deficit into a 47-41 lead with just under eight minutes to go behind a 10-3 run. Aleksandravicius and Murray combined for all 10 points. The Wildcats though were held to just two more points the remainder of the way as they were outscored 14-2.

The 'Cats (1-3) had a chance to tie things up at 52 when Murray got a wide-open look from three-point range off an inbounds play, but missed, and then Aleksandravicius missed on the putback which would have cut the Rutger lead to one with 1:14 left. Monique Oliver and Betnijah Laney sealed the win for Rutgers with three free throws.

Oliver and Laney scored 15 points apiece to pace the Scarlet Knights (3-1), with Oliver adding nine boards. Laney scored 10 straight points at one time in the second half helping Rutgers comeback. Erica Wheeler chipped in 12 points.

Murray and the Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders, hitting six of their first eight shots that included a 4-for-4 showing from downtown. They finished the first half shooting 47.6 percent after being over 50 percent the majority of the half.

Murray banked in her first trey of the half to give Davidson a 12-5 lead. Two more triples later from the shooting guard pushed the advantage out to 18-9 with 12:16 on the clock.

Dakota Dukes (Raleigh, N.C.) would double up the Scarlet Knights (24-12) with a bucket inside off a nice pass from Jasmine Calin (Miami, Fla.) and then added another layup to make 27-12 with just around four and a half minutes left in the first period.

Davidson's defense was working it on the other end, holding Rutgers scoreless over a five-minute stretch and just 17.2 percent shooting (5-29) for the half. The Scarlet Knights would come back to shot an even 50 percent in the second half.

Oliver got Rutgers to within nine with five of her nine first-half points in the last few minutes as Davidson went into the break up 29-20.

Davidson wraps up its six-game road trip to start the year, and finish out November, by playing at Mercer on the 28^th for a 7 p.m. contest in Macon, Ga. The Wildcats hosted the Bears last year and earned a 75-60 victory, its first in the series.

GAME NOTES: This was the first meeting between both schools … the game featured 11 ties … Davidson's six-game road swing to open to season is the longest since an eight-game swing to start the 2009-10 season … Davidson matched its season-high from three-point range, going 8-for-21 … Barbara Sitton, who had six rebounds, four steals and six assists, moved into second place all-time in assists now with 345 … Aleksandravicius needs 156 more points and 42 more rebounds to be the program's all-time leader in both categories.