From DC official website - Davidson beats Western Carolina in Cullowhee, NC

Box Score
Postgame Interview (Windows Media Player)

Curry and Richards Lead Cats to Seventh Straight Win

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – A year after the duo accounted for 46 points and 11 3-pointers in a Davidson win, Stephen Curry and Jason Richards combined for 47 points and 10 treys in an 82-67 Southern Conference men’s basketball victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts Monday evening at the Ramsey Center.

It was Davidson’s seventh consecutive victory and 19th straight regular season league triumph as it improves to 11-6 overall and 9-0, while WCU falls to 5-12 and 1-6.

Curry scored 29 on 10-for-19 shooting and added seven rebounds, four assists and five steals, while Richards tallied 18 points on a 6-for-9 night and recorded eight assists and four boards. Bryant Barr netted nine points off the bench.

Brandon Giles led Western Carolina with 23 points, and Blake Gallagher added 12 points and eight rebounds. Jake Robinson scored 12 points off the bench.

The Wildcats struggled offensively early but used their scrappy defense to grind away until their shots started falling. And fall they did. Leading 11-10, Davidson used a 15-4 run to open a 26-14 cushion following a 3-pointer by Richards.

The ‘Cats then lit the fuse and exploded to score 16 points in the final 2:30 of the period. After Barr hit a 3-pointer from the wing, Curry got a steal and fed Max Paulhus Gosselin for an alley-oop dunk, and then the sophomore stole the inbounds pass and scored a layup as Davidson took a 36-16 lead. Richards and Curry nailed consecutive 3-pointers to finish the half, and the ‘Cats led 42-23 at the break.

The defense was once again excellent until the offense could get going. Davidson held Western Carolina (5-12, 1-6 SoCon) to 7-for-26 shooting in the first half and scored 12 points off nine turnovers.

Davidson blitzed the Catamounts in the opening minutes of the second half with a 15-4 run. Curry capped the stretch with a conventional 3-point play after he was fouled converting a layup on a fast break. That gave Davidson an insurmountable 57-27 cushion, its largest of the game, 4:37 into the frame. Western Carolina would not get closer than 15 points for the rest of the game.

Davidson is back in action in a 7:05 p.m. contest Thursday at The Citadel.

Game Notes: The Wildcats are in the midst of a three-game road trip… Davidson starts SoCon play with a 9-0 mark for the third straight season and fourth time under coach Bob McKillop… Davidson extended its regular-season conference win streak to 19 and has won by an average of 18.7 points a game during the run… The ‘Cats moved to 7-0 with Andrew Lovedale in the starting lineup… Curry scored in double figures for the 44th consecutive contest... He moved into third on Davidson's career 3-pointers chart.

Sander gets elbow to face: Remix Version

Zoomed in and in slow motion:

To get you in the mood for tonight...

Highlights from the last game with WCU, courtesy of Austin Bell:

From WCU website

Western Carolina Hosts Davidson on Monday, Jan. 21; First 500 Fans Through the Gates to Receive a Rally Towel

Cullowhee, N.C. - Coming off a nine-day break between games, the Western Carolina Catamounts will put their three-game home winning streak on the line as they entertain the Southern Conference's South Division-leading Davidson Wildcats Monday night in the Ramsey Center. Tip-off is set for 7:03 pm.

The first 500 fans through the gates on Monday night will receive a rally towel, presented by Sonic Drive-In. Also, children ages 17 and under will be admitted FREE to the game.

Monday's game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard in Western North Carolina on 680 AM WRGC in Sylva or online at www.WRGC.com. Fans can also follow the CSN broadcast by tuning to Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 126.

Click here to read entire article (lengthy....too much to post here).

From Asheville Citizen-Times

First-place Davidson visits WCU tonight
by Tyler Norris Goode

CULLOWHEE - This has been a tough basketball season for Western Carolina’s men, and things don’t figure to get any easier tonight.

Davidson (10-6, 8-0), which leads the Southern Conference’s South Division, will visit the Catamounts at 7:03 p.m. at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee. WCU (5-11, 1-5) currently occupies last place in the league’s North Division.

Davidson features Stephen Curry, a sophomore guard whose scoring average of 23.8 points per game ranks fifth nationally. The Wildcats’ Jason Richards leads the nation with an average of 8.8 assists per game.

WCU is led by sophomore Brandon Giles, who is averaging 13.2 points a game overall this season. In league play, his scoring average of 17.3 points a game ranks third in the league.

Davidson Legend: Lefty Driesell

Thomas Sander takes an elbow to the nose

Coach McKillop and Coach Matheny (and the rest of the bench) were about to blow a gasket when this happened. I can't say for certain, but it sure looked intentional to me. The UTC player just walked away, not looking back, as if he knew exactly what he had done. That UTC player should have been thrown out.

Some Steph Curry highlights

From Davidson website

'Cats Stay Perfect in SoCon on Alumni Day with 85-58 Win Over Chattanooga
Joey Beeler -- Assistant SID

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Stephen Curry scored 27 of his game-high 37 points in the first half, and Davidson placed four in double figures as the Wildcats cruised by Chattanooga 85-58 in Southern Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at John M. Belk Arena in front of a season-high 5,361 fans.

The victory was the sixth straight and 18th consecutive regular season league win for the ’Cats as they improve to 10-6 overall and 8-0 in the conference. UTC has dropped back-to-back games, falling to 12-7 and 7-2.

Senior Jason Richards recorded 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Wildcats, and classmate Boris Meno added 12 points and five boards off the bench. Junior Andrew Lovedale netted 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

Click here for entire article.

Tomorrow's schedule

Help Us Celebrate 100 Years of Basketball at Davidson, Saturday, January 19, 2008!

You and your family are invited to take part in celebrating 100 years of Davidson College basketball next Saturday, January 19. Players and coaches – including Lefty Driesell and Terry Holland ’64 – from eight different decades will return to campus during the weekend. Don’t miss your chance to hear from them, get autographs, and share the special bond of the Davidson basketball family… then and now. Please join players, coaches, alumni, and the campus and local communities at the following public events:

10:00 a.m. – Panel discussion: “Meet Davidson Basketball’s Hall of Famers,” Duke Family Performance Hall, Knobloch Campus Center (formerly Johnston Gym)
Moderated by The Voice of the Wildcats, John Kilgo, and featuring Hall of Fame inductees Lefty Driesell, Hobby Cobb ’56, John Gerdy ’79, Terry Holland ’64, Jerry Kroll ’70, Dick Snyder ’66, and Kenny Wilson ’84. Welcome back to campus the legends of Davidson basketball, and take part in an audience Q&A session!

2:00 p.m. – Davidson vs. Chattanooga, Belk Arena
Cheer on the Wildcats in a key conference game vs. the Mocs from Chattanooga. For tickets to the game, call the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-768-CATS. Call today as attendance for this game is expected to be very high!

4:15 p.m. (approximately) – Fan Meet & Greet and Autograph Session, Belk Arena Grab a scorecard, uniform shirt, or other basketball-related item and collect as many autographs as you can! All returning Davidson basketball alumni are the stars of this show – come down to the main floor a few minutes after the game ends and meet the alumni! Limited edition Centennial Basketballs, suitable for autographs, will be on sale at the game.

Don’t miss this important day in the history of Davidson’s basketball program! Brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations, Davidson Athletic Foundation, and Davidson Athletics.

For questions, contact:
Peter Wagner '92
Director of Alumni Relations
Davidson College
Nancy Blackwell Alumni House
Box 7169 - 420 North Main Street
Davidson, NC 28035
Office -- (704) 894-2642
FAX -- (704) 894-2602

Davidson/Furman photos

Click here to see my entire photo library.

Dunking on Furman: Big Willie Style

This is not my work. It was filmed by someone on DavidsonCats.com named "TM". Thanks for the good work, TM!

Highlights from 2nd half of Furman game

This is my own work....pathetic as the quality of the video may be, I have to claim it.

From The Greenville News

Wildcats roll past Paladins
By Willie T. Smith III
STAFF WRITER

The Davidson Wildcats have been the gold standard in Southern Conference men's basketball in recent years.

Wednesday night the Furman Paladins found out why.

Davidson bested the Paladins in almost every statistical category to claim a 73-51 victory.

"I said this when I became the head coach at Furman and I still talk about this," said Furman coach Jeff Jackson. "We would like our program to be like their program where we have that type of physicality, that type of player."

The Wildcats led virtually from the beginning in claiming its 17th straight regular season league victory and 20th including last season's SoCon tournament. They improved to 9-6 overall and 7-0 in league play.

Davidson placed four players in double figures and all but one of the 11 athletes traveling with the team scored.

That was important on a night when Davidson's star player, sophomore Stephen Curry, a 2007 Freshman All-American, was not at his best. One of the top outside shooters in the nation, he made only one of eight from 3-point range although he paced his team in scoring with 14 points.

It didn't matter, however, as the Wildcats had everything else working their way.

The loss dropped Furman to 2-15 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

Despite hitting only eight of 28 3-point shots the Wildcats connected on 51.8 percent of its field goals, thanks to several uncontested lay-ups.

One of the few positives for the Paladins was the play of freshman forward Noah States, who collected the first double-double of his college career with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Alec Opacic was also a factor inside collecting 14 points and seven rebounds.

Furman out-rebounded the Wildcats 34-33, marking the second consecutive game it has accomplished the feat. Prior to that it had lost the inside battle in 17 consecutive games.

"The last two games Noah has only been able to play about 13 minutes in each because he has been in foul trouble," said Jackson. "Tonight he stayed out of foul trouble and made his presence felt."

Despite his performance States came away impressed with Davidson.

"They didn't lose any seniors last year and they're the team to beat in the SoCon," said States. "We tried to come out and play really physical against them, but you just have to play physical under control."

It took the Wildcats about three minutes to get their bearing. When they did, however, they wowed Furman with inside power, outside shooting prowess and relentless defense.

Davidson connected on 14 of 25 field goals, including six of 15 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes to claim a 37-20 halftime advantage.

Furman made only eight of 27 field goals, including two of nine from long range in the initial period.

The Paladins return to action Saturday when they host The College of Charleston at 5 p.m. The game will be televised by CSS. A SoCon game between the Furman women's team and Tennessee-Chattanooga will precede that contest, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Will dunks on Furman

Video and live stats for tonight's game

I'm heading out to the game. If you can't make it, check out the links on the right, or use these below:

Free video: From ChannelSurfing.net

Pay video: From CSTV

Live Stats: From CSTV Gametracker

From Furman website

Furman Set To Renew SoCon Rivalry With Davidson On Wednesday
Wildcats Have Won 20 Of The Last 21 Meetings With Furman

Jan. 15, 2008


Greenville, S.C. - The Furman men's basketball team will play host to the Southern Conference South Division leading Davidson Wildcats in a 7 p.m. contest Wednesday at Timmons Arena.

The SoCon game will mark the 148th meeting in a series between Furman and Davidson that dates back to 1909. The Wildcats hold an 87-60 series lead and have won 20 of the last 21 meetings against the Paladins, including a 91-68 triumph in last year's SoCon Tournament quarterfinals. The Paladins only victory over Davidson in the last 12 years was a 70-66 decision at Timmons Arena during the 2005-06 campaign.

The Wildcats enter the game at 8-6 overall and 6-0 in SoCon play following an 85-50 victory at Wofford this past weekend. Davidson has won four straight overall and 19 straight against league opposition dating back to January of 2007.

Stephen Curry, the 2006-07 SoCon Freshman-of-the-Year, leads the Wildcats averaging 23.6 points per game. He is joined in double figures by senior guard Jason Richards at 12.9 per contest.

Furman (2-14, 1-6) dropped its third straight game on Saturday falling 60-58 to Elon in heartbreaking fashion. Tony Anderson buried a three-pointer at the buzzer that looked to have given the Paladins the victory, but it was ruled moments later that the shot was released after time had expired. Junior Alex Opacic sparked Furman's rally from a 15-point deficit with a career-best 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Following Wednesday's game, Furman will host the College of Charleston in a regionally televised game on Saturday at 5 p.m. The battle against the cross state rival Cougars will be broadcast live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS).

From The Greenville News: Furman pre-game article

Opacic responds to Jackson's challenge
By Mandrallius Robinson
STAFF WRITER
Photo credit: BART BOATWRIGHT

The Furman University men's basketball team is looking up after getting help down low from Down Under.

After Western Carolina overpowered the Paladins 73-65 on Jan. 10, Paladins coach Jeff Jackson challenged his players' frontcourt physicality. Alex Opacic, a 6-foot-10 junior from Sydney, Australia, answered the challenge, aggressively attacking the basket against Elon on Saturday and scoring a career-high 20 points in a 60-58 loss.

"What you like to see is when you challenge guys, they step up and answer the challenge," Jackson said. "I was really pleased with the way Alex played."

That kind of play could help Furman (2-14, 1-6) when it hosts South Division leader Davidson (8-6, 6-0) in a Southern Conference game at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Timmons Arena. Opacic said he is focusing on becoming consistently aggressive.

"Coach told me he wanted me to be tougher, and every time I got the ball to attack the basket," Opacic said. "I put it in my mind that I was going to be aggressive. Every time I touched the ball, I was going to go quick and attack the rim no matter what."

Opacic joined the Paladins as a perimeter threat. During his first season, 36 percent of his field goal attempts were from 3-point range. Opacic gradually enhanced his interior game, dropping that percentage to 23.4 last season. He has taken only 13.3 percent of his field goal attempts from behind the arc this season, while improving his overall field goal percentage from .441 to .484.

He is Furman's second-leading scorer, averaging 10.1 points per game.

"Primarily, I was a bit more of a perimeter player, but I wanted to become tougher inside and get some better post moves," Opacic said. "I've been able to work at it and do it."

Opacic also registered the first double-double of his career, grabbing 12 rebounds against the Phoenix. His previous high was six, which he recorded twice in 2006. Furman outrebounded an opponent for the first time on Saturday, recording 32 to Elon's 29.

Davidson/Wofford slideshow

This particular set of photos is pretty lame. I spent most of my time taking video shots of the game, so I didn't get many good photos. Here's the slideshow, in all its lame glory.

If you want to gain access to my library of photos, click here. Feel free to copy any and all photos I have uploaded.

Furman Pregame: Davidson Alumni Event

Davidson Men's Basketball vs. Furman Pre-game Event

COME CHEER ON THE WILDCATS
Join Greenville Chapter President Bill Wilson ‘91 for a pre-game reception before Davidson men’s basketball plays Furman University.

When: January 16, 2008 5:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Where: Cherrydale Alumni House at Furman University
(Located across the parking lot from Timmons Arena at Furman University)
Ticket Required: No
Cost: $10.00

From Wofford and Davidson websites

From Wofford:
Men’s Basketball Defeated 85-50 By Davidson

From Davidson:
Tremendous Shooting Night Sparks Davidson Win at Wofford

From Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Wildcats gouge Terriers
By Todd Shanesy

Davidson is at the top of the mountain. Wofford is still in the foothills somewhere.

That much was evident Saturday night at the Benjamin Johnson Arena, where the defending Southern Conference champion Wildcats blistered the Terriers, 85-50.

Davidson (8-6, 6-0) has won 16 straight league games and 29 of its past 30. For Wofford (8-7, 1-4), a fourth straight SoCon defeat showed there is a considerable climb ahead.

The Wildcats never even let Wofford in the game. They immediately went up 10-0, made their first eight shots from the floor (including a pair of 3-pointers) for a 21-5 lead and were up by 33 with 6:40 to go before halftime.

"My gosh. It was like a race horse being set loose," Wofford coach Mike Young said. "They were dialed in. They were ready to go. They did not give us a blink. I've seen them play a lot and I thought that was as good as I've ever seen them."

Wofford scored on just one of its initital nine possessions and by then it was 16-2.

"I think we did that on the defensive end to start off," Davidson all-conference sophomore guard Stephen Curry said. "We didn't let them get easy shots. We set the tone. They were at home, so we didn't want them to get any kind of energy from the crowd."

Curry led Davidson with 26 points (10-for-13 shooting) and had all but two of those by the opening minutes of the second half. Will Archambault scored 15 and Jason Richards had 12 to go with six assists. The Wildcats were coming off a close call, a 59-57 win on Tuesday at Elon, and were swinging at the opening bell against Wofford.

"Elon hit us right away and we thought Wofford was going to try to do the same thing," Archambault said. "So we were the first ones to initiate contact. I guess we never looked back from there."

Wofford opened the SoCon season by knocking off North Division favorite UNC Greensboro and went on to go 3-1 in the Las Vegas Classic, including an upset of Purdue. But after coming back from the winter break, the Terriers blew a double-digit lead at home against Chattanooga and earlier this week, dropped a 52-49 game to Appalachian State.

"I think their gas tank was a little bit drained," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said, "from the tough loss they just had against App State and when they completely had command over Chattanooga and lost that big lead.

"And I look at their schedule right before Christmas. It was tough. They go from the road at Elon to Alabama to Purdue to Las Vegas. That catches up with you. It really does. Then to have two emotional losses just further empties your tank."

Senior shooting guard Shane Nichols led the Terriers with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Senior point Drew Gibson had eight points and a team-high five rebounds. Wofford's forwards and centers combined for just eight boards (four by Tim Johnson) as Davidson dominated the glass, 36-19.

The Wildcats didn't have many rebounds on their offensive end, though. They shot 63 percent (36-for-57). In the first half, they were 7-for-11 on 3-pointers.

"They are exceptionally well-coached. They have great pieces," Young said. "They make you consider a lot of things. I expected us to be right there, but they were certainly the better team tonight."

Davidson was up by as many as 43 points on a couple of occasions in the second half.

"I am devasted that it wasn't a nail-biter that went down to the last possessions," Young said. "We could have handled things better. Not a good night for the home team."

From the Charlotte Observer

DAVIDSON 85, WOFFORD 50
Wildcats dominate in easy victory
Davidson shoots 63 percent against Terriers
KEVIN CARY

SPARTANBURG --Davidson unwrapped its old dominance in an 85-50 win at Wofford Saturday night.

The Wildcats (8-6, 6-0 Southern) have won 30 of their past 31 Southern Conference games , but they struggled in a 59-57 win Wednesday against Elon.

But once shooting guard Stephen Curry removed the wrap on his wrist Saturday, the Wildcats unveiled an offensive burst.

"He looked pretty good out there -- 10 for 13 good," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said about Curry's shooting.

Curry scored 26 points in 24 minutes, but the rest of the Wildcats sizzled too. Davidson hit 63 percent of its shots, scored the first 10 points of the game, and led by as many as 43 points in the second half.

That gap came because the Wildcats ran an efficient offense that started with interior passes and often ended with daggers from the outside. Davidson made its first nine shots, and never let Wofford (8-7, 1-4) into the game.

"You could tell a difference in the first three minutes," Curry said. "We hit some shots and got defensive stops. It really gave us momentum."

Curry attacked the basket and showed an improved ability to penetrate to the basket.

"I haven't had pain in (my wrist) for more than a month, and I practiced without (the wrap) for the last few days," Curry said. "It took a little time to get the feel back, but it feels really good to have it off now."

Curry had help from reserve Will Archambault, who scored 15 points, primarily on drives to the basket. Davidson pounded the ball inside against the smaller Terriers, making 26 of 37 two-point shots (70 percent).

The Wildcats also hit 10 3-pointers against Wofford, which played Davidson close the last three meetings. Davidson faces another road game Wednesday at Furman, which has only two wins this season. After that, Davidson hosts Chattanooga, which is also undefeated in conference play.

McKillop talked about making improvements after Saturday's game, because the Wildcats got sloppy in the second half. But there was little else to quibble about after Davidson's overpowering win.

"That's what we are always trying to do," forward Andrew Lovedale said. "We try to make the other team surrender. We did a good job of that tonight."

****************************

Davidson-Wofford Observations
KEVIN CARY

• Davidson point guard Jason Richards leads the nation in assists, but that success isn't just because of his ability to pass the ball on the fast break. Richards has a deft ability to lob entry passes to post players inside, which set up easy layups.

• Davidson guard Stephen Curry struggled from the field on Wednesday, but he got going after getting unwrapped Saturday. Curry had been wearing a wrap on his left wrist all season, but he took it off before the game. He scored 12 points during the first 11 minutes to help Davidson jump to a 28-8 lead.

• Davidson hasn't lost since Andrew Lovedale entered the starting lineup after the new year. That's not because Lovedale has put up big offensive numbers, but because the Wildcats have looked for more inside shots with him in the lineup. That showed Saturday -- Davidson hit its first nine shots but only two were 3-pointers.

• Saturday's halftime featured the Wofford tennis team hitting volleys across a makeshift net. Not exactly a high-flying spectacle to get the crowd going.

Bryant Barr speaks to youth group at Lake Forest Church

Bryant plays HORSE at the meeting (Steph is in the background):

Video highlights from the Davidson/Wofford game

From the AP wire

Davidson 85, Wofford 50

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -- Stephen Curry pumped in 26 points as Davidson jumped out to a quick lead and beat Wofford 85-50 in Southern Conference action Saturday.

The Wildcats (8-6, 6-0 SoCon) hit their first eight shots on their way to a 21-5 lead and shot better than 63 percent from the floor. Will Archambault added 15 points and Boris Meno led all rebounders with nine.

The Terriers (8-7, 1-4), who shot just 36 percent from the floor, were led by Shane Nichols with 14 points.

Wofford cut the lead to 28-13 with 7:54 left in the half, but Davidson quickly extended the lead to 23 and led 45-25 at the half.

Davidson led by as many as 43 at 79-36 in the second half and outrebounded Wofford 36-17.

Davidson beats Wofford like a rented mule, 85-50

I've got photos and video highlights to post (I missed Boris Meno's dunk, though).

This was a beat-down from the opening seconds. Wofford was never in the game, and it was not even as close as the score indicates. Davidson was up by 43 or so at one point. It was ugly for Wofford.

By the way, if you had any doubt left, you shouldn't any longer. Big Willie is BACK. He is playing with much more confidence and hitting his shots, dropping 15 points in 15 minutes tonight.

Here's a link to Coach McKillop's post-game interview: click here

Box Score: click here

Tonight: Davidson @ Wofford, 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, SC

This is almost always a very tough game. This year should be no different.

To get you in the mood for the game, here are a few clips from the past couple of years against Wofford in Spartanbug:

Boris dunks (last year):


Big Willie hits game winner (last year):


Jason hits a 3 (two seasons ago):

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla says Bob McKillop is great coach

Davidson vs. Elon: post-game articles

From Davidson website:
Curry's Late Game Heroics Lead 'Cats to Comeback Victory at Elon

From Elon website:

Curry Rallies Davidson Past Elon

From Burlington Times-News:

Curry dashes Elon in clutch

From Burlington Times-News blog:

Curry ends Elon’s hopes for upset … not that I got to see it or anything

From Charlotte Observer:

Curry lights up just in time to boost Davidson

From Charlotte Observer:

Observations Davidson vs. Elon

From ESPN.com (AP):

Davidson 59, Elon 57

Dunk photo credit: Tim Cowie

Dribbling photo credit: Elon website

Announcement: Activities Next Weekend @ Davidson

Help Us Celebrate 100 Years of Basketball at Davidson, Saturday, January 19, 2008!

You and your family are invited to take part in celebrating 100 years of Davidson College basketball next Saturday, January 19. Players and coaches – including Lefty Driesell and Terry Holland ’64 – from eight different decades will return to campus during the weekend. Don’t miss your chance to hear from them, get autographs, and share the special bond of the Davidson basketball family… then and now. Please join players, coaches, alumni, and the campus and local communities at the following public events:

10:00 a.m. – Panel discussion: “Meet Davidson Basketball’s Hall of Famers,” Duke Family Performance Hall, Knobloch Campus Center (formerly Johnston Gym)
Moderated by The Voice of the Wildcats, John Kilgo, and featuring Hall of Fame inductees Lefty Driesell, Hobby Cobb ’56, John Gerdy ’79, Terry Holland ’64, Jerry Kroll ’70, Dick Snyder ’66, and Kenny Wilson ’84. Welcome back to campus the legends of Davidson basketball, and take part in an audience Q&A session!

2:00 p.m. – Davidson vs. Chattanooga, Belk Arena
Cheer on the Wildcats in a key conference game vs. the Mocs from Chattanooga. For tickets to the game, call the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-768-CATS. Call today as attendance for this game is expected to be very high!

4:15 p.m. (approximately) – Fan Meet & Greet and Autograph Session, Belk Arena Grab a scorecard, uniform shirt, or other basketball-related item and collect as many autographs as you can! All returning Davidson basketball alumni are the stars of this show – come down to the main floor a few minutes after the game ends and meet the alumni! Limited edition Centennial Basketballs, suitable for autographs, will be on sale at the game.

Don’t miss this important day in the history of Davidson’s basketball program! Brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations, Davidson Athletic Foundation, and Davidson Athletics.

For questions, contact:
Peter Wagner '92
Director of Alumni Relations
Davidson College
Nancy Blackwell Alumni House
Box 7169 - 420 North Main Street
Davidson, NC 28035
Office -- (704) 894-2642
FAX -- (704) 894-2602

Wildcats pull out a win @ Elon, 59-57

WOW!!! Exciting game. Much more to come.

In summary, Davidson trailed almost the entire game, Steph didn't have a good night until the last couple of minutes, and - from what I could tell from listening - we just couldn't get things going the entire game. But, good teams find a way to pull out a win when they don't bring their best game. This was a big win against a tough opponent. These types of games are going to happen. It's exciting to see the guys just find a way to win.

Thomas Sander stepped up big in this one (12 pts/13 rebs), as well as Lovedale. Jason had 10 assists. Lovedale had a big block in the closing seconds to help seal the game.

Steph had 15, with about 8 of those 15 coming in the last couple of minutes. His two 3pt shots were HUGE, as well as a driving left-handed layup.

Big win. Very exciting finish. I try to never take winning for granted, and my nervous energy right now shows that I don't.

Whew (wiping brow).

Watch the Davidson @ Elon game: 2 options

Tonight on MASN: Southern Conference Basketball
By MASN Staff on January 9, 2008

MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment, will televise the men’s basketball game between Davidson and Elon on Wednesday night. The game will air live at 9:00 p.m. from the Elon University Alumni Gym.

Davidson, last year’s Southern Conference Southern Division Champion is 6-6 overall this season and leads the Southern Conference with a 4-0 record. Bob McKillop’s Wildcats are led by one of the nation’s leading scorers, sophomore guard Stephen Curry.

The Elon Phoenix are 6-8 this season and 4-2 in the Southern Conference. Led by Ernie Nestor, the Phoenix are currently in 2nd place in the Conference’s North division.

MASN airs more than 500 live sporting events every year including over 200 NCAA football, basketball and lacrosse games. MASN is available on expanded basic cable to millions of North Carolinians on four cable and satellite providers, including DirecTV (Channel 626), Dish Network (Channel 432), Mediacom and Charter.

***********************
Many of us may have forgotten about SoCon TV, but it is still around. They are showing tonight's Davidson vs. Elon game. Check it out.

Davidson plays @ Elon tonight at 9:00

From Elon website:
A photo of their "Alumni Gym", which is ....well....tiny.

From Davidson website:

'Cats Look to Continue Regular Season Streak with 9 p.m. Tip at Elon Wednesday
Joey Beeler -- Assistant SID

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Bob McKillop and his Davidson Wildcats have won 14 straight Southern Conference regular season contests, and look to extend their streak with a 9 p.m. televised contest at Elon Wednesday.

THE MATCHUP

- Coaches: Davidson Bob McKillop, the all-time winningest coach in Davidson and SoCon history has compiled a record of 317-224 in 19 years at the helm. Elon Ernie Nestor is 48-86 in five seasons on the Phoenix bench and 116-167 as a collegiate head coach.

- Series: Davidson leads, 26-11.

- Last Meeting: Davidson placed four in double figures led by Stephen Curry’s 25 points to cruise by the Phoenix 88-58 in Elon, N.C., Jan. 30, 2007.

- TV: Mid-Atlantic Sports Network

- Radio: John Kilgo and Logan Kosmalski will call the action on the Davidson Radio Network.

- Next Up: Davidson will continue its three-game road trip with a 7 p.m. contest at Wofford Saturday. Elon travels to Furman for a 4 p.m. contest Jan. 12.

Slideshow: Images from the WCU game

Here's a new feature I'm trying out. Instead of putting an endless string of pictures directly on the blog, I have uploaded 50+ photos to Imageshack, and set up a slideshow that will scroll through all the photos. Give me some feedback on this. Do you like it, or would you rather have a long string of photos posted directly on here?

A few ridiculous, but fun, pictures - done with minimal effort...

Bryant Barr with tattoos:
Max is one tough guy:

Bob for President:

Last night's crowd: 4,602

New scoreboards look MUCH better

Main Scoreboards - much more informative and updated looking...they have total points and fouls for individual players in the game at any given time, which was missing before. Also, no more "Visitor" on the scoreboard...you can actually put the name of the visiting team. This was a much-needed upgrade.

New:



Old:


******************
Lower/corner scoreboards-
New:
Old: (I can't find a photo, but they were bad. I am 99.99% positive that they also had "Davidson" and "Visitor" on them. You couldn't even change the visiting team's name.)

WCU game: McKillop's post-game interview

Click here to listen.

From both Davidson and WCU websites

From Davidson:
Defense Leads Davidson Past Western Carolina 86-73

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Jason Richards scored 17 points and dished out nine assists, and Stephen Curry netted 19 points to lead Davidson to an 86-73 men’s basketball victory over Western Carolina Saturday night before a crowd of 4,602 at Belk Arena.

Will Archambault scored a season-high 11 points off the bench for Davidson (6-6, 4-0 SoCon), while Thomas Sander, Max Paulhus Gosselin and Boris Meno each scored nine points.

*********************

From WCU:

Davidson Stops Western Carolina 86-73

DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) -- Stephen Curry scored 19 points, Jason Richards added 17 and Davidson beat Western Carolina 86-73 on Saturday night.

Will Archambault added 11 points and Thomas Sander had 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (6-6, 4-0 Southern Conference), who have won their first four league games for the second straight season and fourth time under coach Bob McKillop.

**********************
NOTE: WCU apparently didn't even bother to send someone to cover and write up the game for them. They just used the AP story. I find that odd, and it would be a bit discouraging if I were a WCU player/coach/fan.

From The Observer

DAVIDSON 87, WESTERN CAROLINA 73
Wildcats ready to hit the road
6 of next 7 games away from home for Southern Conference favorite
KEVIN CARY

DAVIDSON --Davidson rolled to another home win Saturday night, and the Wildcats' 86-73 win against Western Carolina gave Davidson a chance to work on some fine-tuning.

The Wildcats used a 20-0 run in the first half to take command of the game and remain unbeaten in the Southern Conference.

That run gave Davidson a 15-point lead, 37-22, and the Catamounts were never closer than 13 points in the second half.

The big cushion gave Davidson (6-6, 4-0 Southern) chances to improve on things before a long stretch of road games. The Wildcats have six of their next games on the road, and haven't played as well away from Belk Arena.

Davidson has waltzed through its first four conference games -- the Wildcats haven't trailed in the second half in any game -- but hostile crowds and hungry opponents await.

The Wildcats weren't flawless Saturday, and a sloppy second-half stretch will give coach Bob McKillop motivation before Wednesday's game at Elon. Davidson had nine turnovers in the second half, and missed 13 of 15 3-pointers. Guard Stephen Curry had 19 points Saturday, but connected on only 1-of-11 3-pointers.

But those shortcomings were overshadowed by a suffocating defense that created eight charges and kept Western Carolina (4-10, 0-4) off its rhythm.

Davidson forced 23 turnovers, and had six players finish with at least nine points.

Sophomore Will Archambault stood out Saturday, scoring 11 points and giving Davidson a lift off the bench. That's the kind of production Davidson will need in its upcoming stretch, because Curry will be the focal point of defenses.

The Wildcats relied on his scoring too much early in the season, but now Davidson is more willing to turn to other weapons.

"We've learned a lot from the experiences we've had," Curry said.

"We know what our strengths and weaknesses are now. We just have to work on our weaknesses together."

It helps that the Wildcats are getting healthy.

Curry dunked left-handed, putting ease to questions about a sore left wrist that will require surgery after the season. Junior Max Paulhus Gosselin is also healed from a sore back, and Davidson appears ready for anything that's coming from Southern Conference opponents.

"The only question I have about us is our consistency," McKillop said.

"There were moments tonight when we were brilliant, but the key to greatness is consistency. We don't want to be a shooting star; we want to be a shining star."


*****************************

Observations Western Carolina-Davidson
KEVIN CARY

• Davidson fans held their breath with four minutes left in the first half, when star guard StephenCurry crumpled under the basket after deflecting a pass. The sophomore went to one knee on the court for a minute, and then sat out for a few possessions. But he returned later in the half, and hit a 23-foot shot at the buzzer to give Davidson a 50-38 lead.

• Western Carolina used an aggressive man-to-man defense to try to stop Davidson in the first half, and the Catamounts might have gotten away with it if not for those meddling referees. Western Carolina was called for 21 fouls in the first half, and eight players had at least two fouls.

• Davidson coach Bob McKillop has tried to build sophomore WillArchambault's confidence in recent games, and the forward is starting to make an impact after a slow start this season. He had six points in the first half Saturday, and hit a 3-pointer.

• Davidson's defense makes up for a lack of quickness with smart plays. The Wildcats drew six charges in the first half.

Thoughts from the WCU game

The crowd was much better than I expected. There were about 4600 people there - and students are not in session. I made an eyeball estimate of 4000....I was too low. If this is indicative of crowds coming up the rest of the season, it' really going to be packed when the students get back on campus. I was also glad to see that people are not deciding against going to games after having a couple of disappointing losses to start the season.

************
A number of very encouraging tidbits:

MPG is back. MPG played hard, is scoring and being much more than just a defensive stopper. His aggressive play last night was veyr important and VERY encouraging. I can't say enough about how important he is going to be.

Big Willie is also back. He's broken out of his early season slump and playing with much more confidence. I can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds for Will. We HAVE to have him hitting on all cylinders if we want to roll the rest of the way this year.

Scoring was much more evenly spread, which is what we need to have (in my casual observer opinion). Steph had an "off" game (only scoring 19 points), yet others contributed greatly. Jason had 17, Big Willie had 11, MPG had 9, Thomas had 9, Boris had 9, Rossiter had 6, and so on. Very good to see.

Stephen Rossiter is solid as oak. He had 6 points and 4 rebounds in only 15 minutes of PT. He also seems very fundementally sound. I like this kid more and more every time I see him play.

Thomas is going to excel inside against SoCon competition. He pulled down 10 boards last night.

**********************

The game got really sloppy in the last 7 minutes or so. Davidson was up by 27 at one point in the second half (72-45 with 11:44 left in the game). The sloppy play by Davidson, combined with WCU hitting a few shots, made the final score closer than the game actually was.

During the last few minutes of the game, Coach McKillop began subbing in the reserves, so the sloppiness was not totally unexpected. No big deal.

Video from the Ga Southern game

Credit to Austin Bell (The Davidson Show):

WCU game: McKillop's post-game interview

Click here to listen.

When I saw this

I couldn't help but think of this

A couple of dunk pictures from the WCU game: Steph (yes, Steph...barely) and Boris

Wildcats whip Western Carolina, 86-73

The game was nowhere near as close as the score indicates. Davidson was up by as much as 27 or so in the second half. It got sloppy at the end, and Western got a few buckets to make the score a little more respectable. Basically, it was a blowout after Davidson went on about a 25-2 run to close out the first half.

More to come...

From Asheville Citizen: Outlook on WCU's season

With Aldridge gone, (WCU) Cats seek consistency
by Tyler Norris Goode

CULLOWHEE — Since losing top scorer Nick Aldridge, the Western Carolina men’s basketball team has posted some unimpressive results.

There was the 48-point loss at 13th-ranked Indiana, the 35-point scoring total against Illinois and the narrow victory over Division I newcomer Presbyterian.

But there have also been signs of hope, particularly in a two-point loss to College of Charleston last month and a surprisingly strong showing last Saturday against N.C. State.

Sophomore Brandon Giles, who had not scored more than 19 points in a college game before December, lit up Charleston for 32 points and dropped 25 during the 74-62 loss to the Wolfpack.

Performances like those give WCU coach Larry Hunter hope that his team can still be a factor in the SoCon without Aldridge, who quit the team in late November.

The Catamounts (4-8, 0-2) resume league play this week at Furman

(7 tonight) and Davidson (7 p.m. Saturday).

“We are gaining confidence,” Hunter said. “People may lose perspective that we’re asking young players to carry important roles for us. We’ve been inconsistent, but that’s because of our youth.”

Overall, WCU’s point production is down nearly 11 points (from 71.4 to 60.9 ppg) since Aldridge played his last game with the Cats on Nov. 20.

Epitomizing the Cats’ hills and valleys since then has been Giles.

The sophomore managed just 10 points against Division I newcomer N.C. Central and was shut out at Indiana, but he’s scoring nearly twice as many points a game since Aldridge left (from 8.4 ppg to 15.9).

Giles had 16 first-half points against N.C. State as WCU led for the first 28 minutes and was within a point with 3:42 remaining.

“Our mental toughness has been up and down each game,” said Giles. “One game we’ll be tough, and the next we’ll be soft with the ball and on defense. We need to go into each and every game with the mind-set we had going into N.C. State.”

Another player who has given the Cats a scoring boost is Arnold Gore, who is averaging 6.3 points a game since Aldridge left. Gore scored a total of 11 points in the Cats’ first five games.

The Cats’ most steady player has been Michael Porrini, who’s averaged between 12 and 13 points for most of the season.

“In high school, I was more of a leader and scorer on my team,” said Porrini, whose scoring average is currently 12.6. “I’ve tried to keep the same mentality after Nick left. I have to distribute while still scoring. I believe our team play since then has gotten even better. We’re looking to pass and score, we’re being unselfish, we’re playing defense and we’re hustling.”

SoCon News: Former WCU player, Nick Aldridge, to transfer to Cincinnati

Aldridge chooses Cincinnati

CULLOWHEE – Former Western Carolina men’s basketball player Nick Aldridge told the Citizen-Times Thursday that he’s decided to transfer to Cincinnati.

A sophomore who led WCU with 18.8 points per game, Aldridge left the Catamounts after playing five games this season. He will be eligible to play five games into the Bearcats’ 2008-09 season. He will be classified as a junior at that point.

“I really like what coach Cronin is doing at Cincinnati,” said Aldridge, who cited personal differences with WCU coach Larry Hunter as his reason for leaving Cullowhee. “He’s playing an up-tempo style, and I think that fits me being able to play a couple of different spots. And he’s really got a young team, so I think he’s going to look for me to be a leader to some of these young guys.”

From Davidson website

'Cats Look to Remain Perfect in SoCon with 7 p.m. Tip Against WCU Saturday
Joey Beeler -- Assistant SID

WILDCAT UPDATE

- Fresh off a convincing 92-67 victory over Georgia Southern Thursday evening, Davidson enters tonight's SoCon affair with Western Carolina 5-6 overall and 3-0 in the league. In the Wildcats' 25-point triumph over the Eagles, Stephen Curry poured in a game-high 24 points and became the second quickest Davidson player to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

- Thomas Sander and Jason Richards also recorded double figure scoring performances in Davidson's last outing with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Richards contributed 11 assists to finish with his seventh career double-double.

- Curry, the SoCon’s Preseason Player of the Year, continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 24.5 points per outing, which also ranks him fifth in the nation. The 6-3 guard is shooting 41.2 percent (49-119) from downtown. Curry’s 4.5 three-pointers per contest also ranks him second nationally.

- Along with Curry ranking among national leaders in scoring, his backcourt mate Jason Richards is also averaging double digits (13.2 ppg.) and still leads the country in assists at 8.9 per contest.

- The last time these two clubs met, Curry (25) and Richards (21) combined for 46 points and 11 treys as the Wildcats cruised by Western Carolina 92-59 in Cullowhee, N.C., Feb. 17, 2007. As a club, Davidson shot 50.8 percent overall and knocked 16-of-35 from long range.

- Davidson is looking to begin its SoCon slate 4-0 for the second consecutive season and fourth time under Head Coach Bob McKillop.

THE MATCHUP

Coaches: Davidson Bob McKillop, the all-time winningest coach in Davidson and SoCon history has compiled a record of 316-224 in 19 years at the helm. Western Carolina Larry Hunter is 28-46 in three seasons on the Catamounts' bench and 537-270 as a collegiate head coach.

Series: Davidson leads, 32-18.

Last Meeting: Stephen Curry (25) and Jason Richards (21) combined for 46 points and 11 treys as the Wildcats cruised by Western Carolina 92-59 in Cullowhee, N.C., Feb. 17, 2007.

Radio: John Kilgo and Logan Kosmalski will call the action on the Davidson Radio Network.

Next Up: Davidson will play its first of three straight away from home with a 9 p.m. contest at Elon Wednesday. Western Carolina hosts Furman Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.

What they are saying in Statesboro, GA

Davidson embarrasses Eagles
Georgia Southern AMR
Posted: Jan. 3, 2008

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson opened with a 21-3 run and never looked back to defeat Georgia Southern 92-67 Thursday night at Belk Arena.

Davidson improves to 5-6 overall and stays undefeated in the Southern Conference at 3-0. Georgia Southern drops to 9-4 and 2-1.

“They showed more of a sense of urgency from the opening tip both from an intensity standpoint and a physical standpoint,” said GSU head coach Jeff Price. “They could see it and they just got us down and kept on going. We didn’t have an answer for it.”

Davidson started with 11 straight points before Georgia Southern finally got on the board. Stephen Curry and Max Paulhus Gosselin combined for nine of those points.

Georgia Southern was held scoreless for the first 3:25 of the contest and went without a point for a period of 5:01 early in the game. The Eagles shot just 1-for-11 (.090) from the field and had six turnovers in the opening nine minutes.

“This is our third straight game to start slow,” said Price. “We missed a lot of shots and I thought our defense was poor early. We’re starting to have a pattern where when we’re missing shots we’re not defending well. We need to understand that if we’re not going to make shots we better get stops on the defensive end.”

Georgia Southern junior Julian Allen (Waterbury, Conn.) recorded his second straight double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Up next for the Eagles is a matchup with UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on SportSouth.

SoCon chooses idiotic 20 game conference schedule again next year

The SoCon scheduling controversy
By Ken Burger
The Post and Courier
Friday, January 4, 2008

The Citadel and the College of Charleston played Southern Conference games Thursday night and will play nothing but conference games until March Madness comes around.

Schedule Madness?

Some think so.

The Bulldogs and Cougars, in fact, will play 18 straight league games through January and February without a single non-conference breather. They both played two league games in December.

That adds up to an unprecedented 20-game conference scheduling format instituted by the SoCon for this season and next. With only 28 games on the schedule, this new concept isn't sitting well with everybody.

"I know everybody has different interests," Citadel coach Ed Conroy said of the schedule controversy. "As a basketball coach I've always enjoyed scheduling according to the needs of my team. I enjoy having that flexibility, and obviously a 20-game conference schedule takes away a little bit of that."

The idea was for every school to play each other twice during the regular season rather than by divisions. But the reality is tough for coaches to swallow.

"When I got here it was 15 (conference games), then it was 18 and now it's 20," said Conroy, whose club lost to Elon, 72-63. "We already had some long-term contracts in the works with schools like Michigan State that we had to change because of this."

Beautiful Boone

The push for more league games came from some Southern Conference schools like Georgia Southern and Western Carolina that have a tougher time getting non-conference teams to come to places like Statesboro, Ga., and Cullowhee, N.C.

Conroy and Cremins agree that Charleston is an easier site to sell than some other venues. And yet, Houston Fancher, coach of Appalachian State in beautiful but remote Boone, N.C., says he doesn't care for the new mandate either.

"A lot of schools are for it and I understand their position," Fancher after his Mountaineers defeated Charleston 70-66 at Kresse Arena. "But for us to grow this league I think we need to play less games and step outside the conference.

"I know it was a close vote. The coaches actually voted not to play 20 games and the athletic directors voted it down."

So, does he have trouble scheduling teams to come to Boone?

"Yeah," Fancher said. "But you just have to go after it and be a little patient. I don't think people have trouble scheduling games. They just struggle to get the games they want."

'Unusual' scheduling

College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins, who coached 19 years at Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference, diplomatically called the scheduling "unusual," but has tried to see the issue from both sides.

"When I went to my first Southern Conference meeting in the spring I was upset about it until I listened to the other coaches," Cremins said. "They mentioned they had trouble scheduling games and that scheduling was a pain in the butt for them. I didn't realize that. I thought with the coaches it would be unanimous, but it wasn't."

Personally, Cremins said he could live with an 18-game league schedule, but thinks 20 conference games limits the league. The ACC and SEC, for instance, play only 16 league games.

"I just don't like doing what nobody else does," Cremins said. "Nobody else plays this number of conference games and I like the flexibility to go outside the conference, I really do. But I have no say."

Indeed, this concept seems to allow the tail to wag the dog.

When asked if the schedule puts extra pressure on coaches and players, Cremins just smiled and said, "Ask me after the season."

Thoughts on the game from fellow Davidson bloggers

From Lefty's Legacy:

"**If last night’s 92-67 defeathering of the Eagles was any indication of
Southern Conference play to come, Davidson will waltz its way into the NCAA
tournament. Georgia Southern was touted by many, including this tlog, as one of
the Conference’s fiercest competitors yet the Eagles never made a game of this
one. The Cats’ stifling defense helped them cruise to an 11-0 start and an early
21-3 lead. There were a few glimmers of hope for GSU, particularly towards the
end of the first half. However, they never got closer than 14. This one was all
Davidson."

Click here to read entire post

From Will's World:

"The Wildcats opened with an 11-0 run and never let up en route to a 92-67
conference win over Georgia Southern. Curry led all scorers with 24 points and
scored his 1,000th point in a Wildcat uniform. Curry is the 38th Wildcat to
score that many in a career.'It feels great to get that, but I'm just more
focused on what's next,' Curry said afterward."

Click here to read entire post

From GA Southern official website

Davidson Jumps on Men's Basketball Early, Cruises to Victory

DAVIDSON, N.C. --- Davidson opened with a 21-3 run and never looked back to defeat Georgia Southern 92-67 Thursday night at Belk Arena.

Davidson improves to 5-6 overall and stays undefeated in the Southern Conference at 3-0. Georgia Southern drops to 9-4 and 2-1.

“They showed more of a sense of urgency from the opening tip both from an intensity standpoint and a physical standpoint,” said GSU head coach Jeff Price. “They could see it and they just got us down and kept on going. We didn’t have an answer for it.”

Davidson started with 11 straight points before Georgia Southern finally got on the board. Stephen Curry and Max Paulhus Gosselin combined for nine of those points.

Georgia Southern was held scoreless for the first 3:25 of the contest and went without a point for a period of 5:01 early in the game. The Eagles shot just 1-for-11 (.090) from the field and had six turnovers in the opening nine minutes.

“This is our third straight game to start slow,” said Price. “We missed a lot of shots and I thought our defense was poor early. We’re starting to have a pattern where when we’re missing shots we’re not defending well. We need to understand that if we’re not going to make shots we better get stops on the defensive end.”

GSU was able to close to within 14 (45-29) at the break, but Curry started the second half the same way he did the first with a 3-pointer on the Wildcats’ first possession. Curry had just seven points at halftime, but more than doubled that in the first three minutes with two treys and a jumper.

A Georgia Southern lay-up cut the margin again to 14 (53-39) at the 15:42 mark but Davidson answered with a 12-0 run and led by no fewer than 19 the rest of the way.

Curry paced all scorers with 24 points and added 10 rebounds and four assists. DC’s Thomas Sander added 18 points and Jason Richards had 16. The duo combined for 27 of their 34 points in the first half.

Georgia Southern junior Julian Allen (Waterbury, Conn.) recorded his second straight double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Kevin Cary's "Observations" from the GSU game

Ga. Southern-Davidson Observations
KEVIN CARY

• Davidson switched its starting lineup Thursday, putting in junior forward Andrew Lovedale instead of senior Boris Meno. Meno had started every game in the past two seasons, but Davidson jumped out to an 11-0 lead with Lovedale on the floor.

• Georgia Southern seemed like a Southern Conference contender before the game, but after missing 11 of its first 12 shots, the Eagles had a percentage lower than a fading presidential candidate.

• Davidson forward Max Paulhus Gosselin had struggled with a sore back for a month, but he had renewed vigor.

Paulhus Gosselin scored seven points in the first half, and his defensive pressure helped create 11 Georgia Southern turnovers.

• Davidson's offense had precision, something the Wildcats have lacked in recent games. Ball movement helped build that -- Davidson had assists on 12 of its 17 first-half field goals.

• Davidson forward Thomas Sander wasn't a factor in the Wildcats' last game -- a 66-65 loss to N.C. State two weeks ago -- but he was a key player Thursday. Sander scored 13 points in the first half and helped Davidson build a 22-point lead.

From The Observer

DAVIDSON 92, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 67
Wildcats' fast start fuels romp against Eagles
Davidson scores game's first 11 points to remain unbeaten in conference
Kevin Cary

DAVIDSON --Davidson's 92-67 win against Georgia Southern did more than keep the Wildcats undefeated in the Southern Conference. It also helped them get their spark back.

This season hasn't gone the way Davidson had hoped -- an early national ranking has long faded and the Wildcats lost six of their first 10 games. Coach Bob McKillop talked to his team about getting some of that missing mojo and using it to regain energy.

"It's like a fire without a spark," he said. "Our spirit had dissipated a little bit because of the losses, and I knew a good start (Thursday) would help them overcome that."

Davidson scored the first 11 points Thursday night and never let the Eagles get off the ground. Forward Max Paulhus Gosselin punctuated the surge with a dunk that came after point guard Jason Richards crashed into press row to save a steal.

Davidson (5-6, 3-0 Southern) delivered that kind of effort all night, diving after loose balls and outscrapping the Eagles (9-4, 2-1) for rebounds. Paulhus Gosselin and forward Thomas Sander (18 points) led the defensive charge, and Davidson erased the memories of its sluggish season start.

Those memories could have lingered for a while, because Davidson hadn't played since a 66-65 loss to N.C. State on Dec. 21. But Paulhus Gosselin said McKillop wouldn't let Davidson dwell on it.

"He put us through a boot camp for the first few days after Christmas, but that helped us get into better shape and get more focused," Paulhus Gosselin said. "Whatever Georgia Southern was going to take to us, we were going to give it back to them."

The Eagles didn't have a lot of fight. Georgia Southern flung wild shots to the rim and made sloppy passes. The Eagles had 19 turnovers and shot 41 percent from the field, and their lack of focus resonated at the free throw line. Georgia Southern made only 8-of-21 free throws and did not look like a conference leader.

Davidson does now, because the Wildcats went back to basics. Guard Stephen Curry had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Richards had 16 points and 11 assists. Davidson led by as many as 32 points.

"These guys had that sense of urgency tonight," McKillop said

From "Above The Rim"

Davidson shows signs of improvement

Davidson won't have much of a break after its 92-67 win against Georgia Southern - Davidson hosts Western Carolina on Saturday - but the Wildcats might not want it. Davidson had a lot of encouraging signs in its win against Georgia Southern.

Forward Max Paulhus Gosselin appears recovered from a sore back, and he might be ready to help Davidson's outside shooting. Gosselin has only made 2-of-21 3-pointers this season, but his shot had a lot more lift Thursday night - instead of the flat trajectory it has had all season.

While Gosselin might shoot more, Davidson's inside players might not. Thomas Sander and Boris Meno had made 5-of-33 attempts before the game, but only took one Thursday, passing up 3-pointers to later get the ball inside. Davidson also played much better on offense. The Wildcats had 16 turnovers, but 10 of those came in the second half after the game had been decided. Point guard Jason Richards led the way, with one turnover and 11 assists.

Those trends could create a winning stretch for Davidson. The Wildcats will be favored to win at least their next eight games, and might not be an underdog until the ESPN Bracketbuster game in February.

--Kevin Cary

WIldcats destroy Ga Southern, 92-67

Davidson rolled to a big win tonight against Georgia Southern in a Southern Conference game. Davidson was in the lead by 30+ points at one point.

Sidenote: Steph also scored his 1,000th point as a Wildcat tonight. He is the second fastest in Davidson history to score 1,000 points (Fred Hetzel was the fastest, according to John Kilgo on the Davidson broadcast).

Good win. More to come.

Wildcats take on Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. at Belk

From the Davidson official website:

Wildcats Return to Action in Key SoCon Battle with Georgia Southern Thursday

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

- Coming off a 66-65 setback to N.C. State 13 days ago, Davidson enters the New Year 4-6 overall and 2-0 in the league. Stephen Curry hit the 20-point plateau for the eighth time this season with a game-high 29 against the Wolfpack in Raleigh, but it was Gavin Grant’s two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining that made the difference.

- Curry, the SoCon’s Preseason Player of the Year, continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 24.6 points per outing, which also ranks him sixth in the nation. The 6-3 guard is shooting 47.0 percent overall and 42.6 percent (46-108) from downtown. Curry’s 4.6 three-pointers per contest also ranks him second nationally.

- Along with Curry ranking among national leaders in scoring, his backcourt mate Jason Richards is also averaging double digits (12.9 ppg.) and still leads the country in assists at 8.7 per contest.

- The last time these two clubs met, Davidson erased a 14-point first-half deficit thanks to a career-high 32 points from Richards to defeat Georgia Southern 101-92 in Statesboro, Ga. To go along with his personal best, the Wildcat point guard scored 20 of his game-high in the opening period, including 16 straight, converted 12-of-14 free throws and added nine assists.

- Davidson is looking to begin its SoCon slate 3-0 for the second consecutive season and fourth time under Head Coach Bob McKillop.

THE MATCHUP

Coaches: Davidson Bob McKillop, the all-time winningest coach in Davidson and SoCon history has compiled a record of 315-224 in 19 years at the helm. Georgia Southern Jeff Price is 146-102 in nine seasons on the Eagles bench and 282-144 as a collegiate head coach.

Series: Davidson leads, 18-6.

Last Meeting: Jason Richards scored a career-high 32 points and Davidson rallied from nine points down at the break to defeat the Eagles 101-92 in Statesboro, Ga., Jan. 23, 2007.

Radio: John Kilgo and Logan Kosmalski will call the action on the Davidson Radio Network.

Next Up: Davidson will conclude its brief homestand with a 7 p.m. tip against Western Carolina Saturday. Georgia Southern travels to Greensboro, N.C., for a 3:00 contest with UNCG Jan. 5.