Latt, 'Cats Escape With First Win, 400th in Program History

Thursday, November 20

Boiling Springs, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Davidson College

1-2

Gardner-Webb

1-2

Davidson

Gardner-Webb

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Latt, 'Cats Escape With First Win, 400th in Program History

11/20/2014 10:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score (html)
DavidsonPhotos.com

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Freshman Mackenzie Latt recorded her second double-double of the season, and hit the tying and go-ahead buckets to help Davidson escape Gardner-Webb with a 68-67 down-to-the-wire victory Thursday evening in Paul Porter Arena in women's basketball.

The win, the Wildcats (1-2) first of the season, was also the program's 400th in its 36-year history and head coach Michele Savage's 75th in her five-year tenure at Davidson.

Latt recorded season highs of 21 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks to go with a season-best tying five assists. Her final four points proved to be the most important ones.

Down 66-64 with under two minutes to go, Latt first nailed a jumper from the free throw line to tie it up. Then after Gardner-Webb turned the ball over, the freshman took a pass from Dakota Dukes under the basket and connected on the layup for a 68-66 lead with 1:09 left.

The Runnin' Bulldogs were fouled on their next possession, hitting 1-of-2 free throws to make it a one-point game. Then on Davidson's final possession, Latt missed a jumper in the lane, but the 'Cats had the possession arrow after both teams tied up the loose ball rebound with 10 second remaining.

Out of a time out, Davidson coughed the ball up and gave Gardner-Webb one last chance. GWU worked the ball down low and Jessica Heilig drew a foul with two seconds remaining. Heilig though would miss both attempts and on the scramble to get the loose rebound, time expired giving the Wildcats the tough road victory.

Hannah Early matched Latt with a double-double of her own, going off for 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was her third straight 15-point outing. Joining Latt and Early in double digits was Lillian McCabe, who went a career-best 4-for-7 from the three-point line on her way to 14 points.

Olivia Parker paced Gardner-Webb (1-2) with 24 points and eight rebounds. Candace Brown added 14 points and Mayhana Dunovant chipped in 11 points to go with six assists.

Gardner-Webb opened the second half with a 9-0 spurt to grab a 43-36 lead not even two minutes into the new half. Davidson regrouped and later used a 12-0 run to erase a 56-50 deficit and take a 62-56 advantage. Latt scored five of the points.

But, the Wildcats could not put the Runnin' Bulldogs away, resulting in a back-and-forth affair in the closing minutes. The game featured 12 lead changes and seven ties overall.

Latt and McCabe carried the Wildcats in the first half to a 36-34 lead. In the first five minutes of the game, Latt had four points, four rebounds, two assists and a block as Davidson led 12-4. She nearly had a double-double in the first half with 10 points and nine boards.

McCabe brought the Wildcats back a couple times later in the first half with her hot-hand from long range. Her first triple tied things up at 21-all with 9:46 on the clock. McCabe did not stop there, draining another triple a few minutes later to bring the 'Cats within one at 29-28, and then the senior went for back-to-back from downtown to give Davidson a 36-29 lead with just over a minute left in the half.

Both teams hauled in 43 rebounds each. Davidson had the edge in shooting, finishing at 43.3 percent, while its defense held GWU to 32.4 percent ,which included 27.9 percent in the first half.

Davidson, in the midst of playing four games in nine days before Thanksgiving, returns home for its next contest Sunday, Nov. 23, against Mount St. Mary's. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES: Davidson's seventh win in a row in the series vs. GWU tied the all-time series up at 7-all … the previous two meetings vs. Gardner-Webb were decided by a combined seven points … Davidson had a season-high 20 assists on its 26 made field goals … the last time Davidson had a pair of players record double-doubles in the same game was at Western Carolina Jan. 27, 2014 ... Early's second three-pointer of the game was the 100th of her career ... Davidson's snapped a three-game skid dating back to the final game of last year in the Southern Conference Tournament ... the last Wildcat to have 15 rebounds in a game was Sophia Aleksandravicius against Elon, Jan. 26, 2013.