Last 1:30 of the Wofford game

With about a 1:30 left in the game, Davidson had a 4 point lead and the ball. Jason Richards drove to the basket and barely missed a layup. Wofford got the rebound and hit a big 3-pointer to cut the Davidson lead to 1 point.

With Davidson up by only 1 point with less than a minute to play, William "Big Willie" Archambault nails a 3 pointer to put Davidson up by 4 points. This bucket essentially sealed the game for Davidson.
Wofford then failed to score on their next possession. Boris Meno grabbed the rebound, and was fouled by Wofford with 15.1 seconds left in the game, sending Meno to the line.

With 15.1 seconds left in the game and Davidson up by 4 points, Boris Meno was fouled after getting a rebound off a missed Wofford shot. Boris steppped up and hit both free throws to put Davidson up 81-75.

After Boris Meno hit two free throws, Wofford brought the ball down the court. Wofford missed the shot, and Steph Curry got the rebound. Wofford promptly fouled Curry, sending Curry to the line with about 4 seconds left in the game. Davidson was leading 81-75.

With about 4 seconds left in the game, Stephen Curry hits two free throws to put Davidson up 83-75.

With Davidson up 81-73 and 4 seconds left, Wofford inbounds the ball and makes a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer. Davidson wins, 83-78.

"Big Willie" Archambault's HUGE 3 pointer

With Davidson up by only 1 point with less than a minute to play, William "Big Willie" Archambault nails a 3 pointer to put Davidson up by 4 points. This bucket essentially sealed the game for Davidson.

Wofford then failed to score on their next possession. Boris Meno grabbed the rebound, and was fouled by Wofford with 15.1 seconds left in the game, sending Meno to the line.

Davidson defeats Wofford, 83-78

Wofford was a tough opponent for Davidson, as they almost always are when we play them in Spartanburg. I don't know what it is, but, for some reason, Wofford always give Davidson fits in their gym (and I mean "gym"). This was a 1 point game with a minute left. The Wildcats just could not seem to put the Terriers away. However, given the history of tough games there, I'll happily take a hard-fought win and a 15-3 (6-0) record back to Davidson.

Much, much more to come. I've got the video of Big Willie's HUGE 3-pointer that essentially sealed the game for Davidson. Once it finishes uploading to YouTube, I'll get it on here.

Davidson's Tia Washington earns another hoops honor

From Davidson website:
Washington Earns Second TIAA-CREF Student-Athlete of Week Award

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Fresh off helping the Davidson women's basketball team continue its school record win streak with its ninth straight in a 58-48 road victory over College of Charleston on New Year's Day, senior point guard Tia Washington (Charlotte, N.C.) was honored with her second TIAA-CREF Student-Athlete of the Week award as announced by the Southern Conference today for the week ending on Jan. 3 for her excellent work on and off the court. Washington also won the honor on Dec. 13 and has earned the weekly award three times now in her career.

Click here for entire article.

From SoCon website:
Davidson's Tia Washington Earns Second TIAA-CREF Student-Athlete of the Week Honor

Spartanburg, S.C. -- The Southern Conference today named Davidson women’s basketball player Tia Washington as the TIAA-CREF Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Jan. 3.

Washington, a senior from Charlotte, N.C., helped lead the Wildcats to their ninth consecutive win after defeating College of Charleston 58-48 on New Year’s Day. She scored 12 points and grabbed four boards in Davidson’s only game of the week. The guard has recorded at least one or more assists in 45 straight games. She ranks sixth in the league with 54 assists on the year.

Off the court, Washington boasts a 3.504 GPA and is majoring in sociology. She is a two-time member of the Southern Conference Academic All-Conference team.

Marcus Boyd earns SoCon Wrestling honor

Davidson's Marcus Boyd Named Wrestler of the Week

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced today that Davidson’s Marcus Boyd has been named the Wrestler of the Week for the week of Jan. 10.

Boyd, a senior from Durham, N.C., led the Wildcats to their first dual victories of the season. He earned a 5-3 decision in Davidson’s 33-6 loss to Buffalo and added a 7-5 win in the Wildcats 33-12 loss to Clarion last Thursday. The 174-pounder recorded a major decision in Davidson’s 30-18 win over Princeton on Saturday. Also on Saturday, he registered a 10-9 win to lift the Wildcats past Duke 18-17. The win marked Davidson’s first over Duke in 40 years.

For the week, Boyd went 4-0 and improved to 17-7 overall and 4-1 in dual meets this season.

Hoops preview from Wofford website

Game Notes: click here

Men's Basketball Preview for Davidson

The men's team takes the court this Saturday in a conference matchup as they host Davidson at 7 p.m. in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.

The men's team is looking to earn its first conference win of the season after dropping an 83-78 decision at Georgia Southern on Monday, Jan. 8. Davidson, which has won 10 straight games, is coming off a 71-63 win over Furman on Wednesday.

The Terriers have three players averaging double figures on the season: guard Shane Nichols (16.5 PPG), forward Eric Marshall (16.2) and point guard Drew Gibson (13.9). Marshall is averaging a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game and leads the team in total points. Nichols, who broke the school record for most 3-pointers in a season in 2005-06, has knocked down 49 shots from beyond the arc and is averaging just under 50 percent from three range. Gibson, who missed several games due to an injury, has racked up 58 assists and a team-high 20 steals.

Fans can listen to the radio broadcast, brought to you by Mark Hauser and Thom Henson, on ESPN 1400AM. Fans can also access the broadcast on http://www.espn1400am.com/. Live stats for the game will be available on the Terrier Hoops Central page

Curry article from Spartanburg Herald

Looks can be deceiving

By TODD SHANESY
Staff Writer

They call him Baby Face. Don't let that fool you. The kid is deadly.

Sure, he seems innocent enough at first. He looks like somebody's little brother who is out there just to give the teams an equal number of players.

Davidson College freshman Stephen Curry could pass for a tall 14-year-old. He's 6-feet-1, but might not be able to get into an R-rated movie without showing his driver's license.

"I've gotten some remarks from fans about how I'm not old enough to be on the court," Curry said.

No, he is not the ball boy.

No, he is not supposed to be in the pee-wee game at halftime.

Yes, his mother knows where he is.

Forget all that jazz.

Curry is already the man in Southern Conference basketball.

He is the league's second-leading scorer at 19.3 points per game, dropped 32 on Michigan in his second game, and was SoCon player of the month.

"It's beyond my imagination to see an 18-year-old guy at this point already," said Wofford head coach Mike Young, whose team has Baby Face in the crib tonight. "His is savvy beyond his years. He plays with great basketball intelligence. He's as good of a cutter and reads screens as well as any young guy I've seen since I've been coaching. And, obviously, he shoots the fire out of it."

Curry is the son of former NBA star Dell Curry, who played for the Charlotte Hornets and is now director of player development for the Charlotte Bobcats. His son wears uniform No. 30 as a tribute.

"Just watching him and having him around helped me progress as a player," the younger Curry said. "I found myself subconsciously picking up things that he used to do."

Curry, a Charlotte Christian product, had an off-night Wednesday at the Bi-Lo Center with six turnovers, but still helped lead Davidson to a 71-63 victory against Furman. He finished with 15 points, four assists, two steals, and pulled down a couple of key rebounds late in the game.

"Stephen (pronounced 'STEF-en') can do so much," Davidson head coach Bob McKillop said. "He can score, he can defend. He makes a mistake and he's not going to hang his head. That's pretty unusual for a freshman. He made a turnover and then goes down and draws a charge at the other end. That kind of resiliency is unusual."

Despite his slight frame (listed as 180 pounds), Curry is not afraid to take a charge or mix it up inside. He makes acrobatic moves to the basket and has pulled down double-digit rebounds. He doesn't play with a rattle, and he can't be rattled.

"I'm fearless. I can do it," he said. "I was always small growing up, so I've gotten used to playing with guys who are bigger than me."

For instance, when he was 10, Curry played on the same youth-league team with former Davidson standout Brendan Winters, who has graduated.

"There's not a soft bone in Steph's body," McKillop said. "He does need to get stronger. Once that happens, he'll have much greater control and will be able to finish more plays."

Article from Chattanooga paper

(Thanks to "chattanoogamocs" from DavidsonCats.com for this.)

Davidson hasn’t dipped

By David Uchiyama
Staff Writer

Davidson basketball coach Bob McKillop had a quick comeback when asked if he’s surprised by the Wildcats’ success, like most outside observers.

"I saw more practices than you did," McKillop said during the weekly Southern Conference teleconference.

Score one for the coach.

Still, the preseason voters couldn’t help but notice that Davidson lost seven seniors from an NCAA tournament team that scared Ohio State last March. Davidson lost 59.5 points per game from last season.

It made sense that the Wildcats would take a dip this year, but their only blips have come at the hands of Michigan, Missouri and Duke despite not having one senior on scholarship.

"At the beginning of the year I thought we’d miss them a lot," junior captain Jason Richards said. "As the season goes on, I’m having fun with the team we have now."

It’s also a winning team. The Wildcats (14-3, 5-0) have reeled off 10 consecutive victories, including defeats of Ohio, Charlotte and Arizona State.

The Wildcats have jumped out to a two-game lead on the College of Charleston in the SoCon’s South Division.

"They’re relentless," said Furman coach Jeff Jackson, whose team lost by eight at home to McKillop. "They just keep coming at you, and they come at you at such a constant pace that if you’re not careful they wear you down."

It’s been that way for two years. In the 2004-05 season, Davidson ran the SoCon table, going 16-0, but stumbled in the SoCon tournament before winning twice in the NIT. Then last season, Davidson cruised through the SoCon tournament.

Richards, Thomas Sander and Boris Meno played on each of those teams and picked up the Davidson system — the X’s and O’s along with the leadership skills — from the likes of Brendan Winters and Conor Grace. The juniors are now the captains and treated like seniors by McKillop. "Coach has put a lot on the captains," said Richards, who leads the SoCon with 7.1 assists per game. "We have to lead drills, communicate on the court and handle business off the court."

Freshman Stephen Curry has the made their jobs a little easier. The son of former NBA star Dell Curry is second in the league with 55 made 3-pointers and averages 19.3 points per game, good for second in the SoCon.

"His stats clearly speak pretty loudly," McKillop said. "I think the system has accentuated his strengths.

"I’m just delighted that he has not missed a beat fitting himself into defensive schemes."

Non-Davidson post

"Terry Tate, Office Linebacker"

This has absolutely nothing to do with Davidson. I just think this is really, really funny.

Remember the Reebok commercials featuring "Terrible Terry Tate: Office Linebacker" from a few years ago? This is an extended version of one. I still laugh out loud when "Triple T" is "checkin' fools". Good stuff. (I'll probably take this post down tomorrow before the Wofford game, since it has no Davidson connection at all.....so enjoy it now.)

Here's one more showing how Triple T likes to "condense the nonsense".....because "when it's game time, it's PAIN time"...

Davidson/Furman - last minute or so of game

With 53 seconds left, Stephen Curry shoots 2 free throws. Furman gets the ball back and scores with 33 seconds left, pulling Furman to within 67-61.


After Furman pulled within 67-61, Davidson inbounded the ball. Furman immediately fouled, putting Jason Richards on the line. Jason sank both free throws to put Davidson up 69-61, with 32 seconds left.


With Davidson up 69-61, Furman misses a shot.


With 12 seconds left, Thomas Sander hits two free throws to extend the lead to 71-61. Furman then htis a meaningless bucket before time expires to make the final score 71-63.

Observer article from Kevin Cary

Davidson gets 10th straight
Furman can't recover after Sander's block

GREENVILLE, S.C. - A signature swat showed how Davidson earned its 71-63 win against Furman on Wednesday night.

Davidson held a tenuous 65-59 lead with under two minutes left, when Thomas Sander threw an errant inbounds pass. Stephen Curry couldn't handle the toss, giving Furman's Tony Anderson an apparent path to the basket.

But those kinds of lanes had been shut down by Davidson the entire second half.

Furman sizzled in the first half -- making nine of 12 3-point attempts -- but the Paladins hadn't been able to make shots after halftime.

As Anderson approached the rim and arched his shot, Sander's right hand batted away the ball, halting the Paladins' final comeback effort.

Sander, a 6-foot-8 junior, isn't known for his vertical leap. He hasn't had a dunk all season -- he missed his only attempt -- and had just four blocks.

"Those are pretty rare for me," Sander said. "I knew I had to do something after that pass. I just got my hand up there and made the play."

Curry scooped up the deflection, and Davidson (14-3, 5-0 Southern) wasn't threatened after that.

The Wildcats held Furman (7-8, 1-3) to eight field goals and 27 percent shooting in the second half. They did it with an aggressive in-your-jersey style. Sander, Andrew Lovedale and Curry swarmed to the ball and knocked the Paladins off their rhythm.

"We were just trying to get up in their face," Sander said. "The referees started letting us play a little more, and I think we got Furman back on their heels."

The Paladins were 1-of-11 on 3-pointers in the second half, while Richards and Sander took charge of the Davidson offense. They combined for 23 points in the half, including 12 during an 18-4 run that gave Davidson a 56-47 lead.

The Wildcats never trailed after that and earned their 10th straight win.

"This team is having a lot of fun right now," coach Bob McKillop said. "They are really enjoying themselves. We have surprised a lot of people."

Especially Sander's newfound skill. He finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, but it was his block that gave his teammates the biggest smile.

"He's not a guy that I picture flying through the air," said Richards, who laughed when asked if Sander could become an intimidating force. "But that play tonight really got us going."

Greenville News photo gallery

Here are a few of the 43 photos that The Greenville News has online in the photo gallery from the game. All photos by BART BOATWRIGHT.

Article from The Greenville News

'Cats pull away from Paladins
Furman comes out cold in second half

By Ann Green
STAFF WRITER

Furman put on a sizzling first-half show against Davidson on Wednesday night as Paladin hoops returned to the Bi-Lo Center for the first time since 2001.

But Furman (7-8, 1-3 Southern Conference) couldn't sustain the heat it generated from beyond the arc, and the Wildcats surged to a 71-63 victory to stretch their current win streak to 10 games (14-3, 5-0 SoCon).

The 2,984 fans in the downtown Greenville arena saw a first half featuring 17 lead changes with the game tied five times and the Paladins ahead, 37-36, at the break.

Furman, which came into the game at the top of the SoCon in 3-point field goal percentage (39.9 percent), made 9 of 12 (75 percent) from long range in the opening half for its season best. Davidson coach Bob McKillop later described those 3-pointers as "like daggers."

He added, "For us to only be down one point, to not hang our heads and head for the hills, is a statement about the emotional toughness of this team."

After the break, the Paladins led by as much as five points. But the Wildcats reclaimed the lead at 15:03 and never trailed again.

As for the extent of Furman's shooting collapse and the toughness of the Davidson defense in the second half, the Paladins drained just eight of 29 field goals (27.6 percent) and just one of 11 treys (9.1 percent).

The Wildcats also out-rebounded the Paladins, 39-24, as Max Paulhus Gosselin and Thomas Sander had nine boards apiece with Sander scoring a game-high 24 points.

Moussa Diagne and Eric Webb led the Paladins with 13 points each.

"We have to do a better job cleaning up the boards," said Furman coach Jeff Jackson, whose team has lost two straight and five of the last seven.

"We had some good looks in the second half. They just didn't go down. ...We have to keep our heads up. I like the shots we're taking, and eventually they'll go down," he added.

Article from Furman website

Davidson Downs Furman 71-63, Extends Winning Streak To 10 Games
Thomas Sander Nets 24 Points To Pace The Wildcats.

Greenville, S.C. - Junior Thomas Sander tallied 24 points and added nine rebounds to lift Davidson to a 71-63 victory over Furman and extend the Wildcats' winning streak to 10 games Wednesday evening before 2,984 at the Bi-Lo Center.

Davidson limited Furman to 27.6% shooting from the field in the second half and compiled a 39-24 rebounding edge to improve to 14-3 overall and 5-0 in Southern Conference play. Furman falls to 7-8 overall and 1-3 in the SoCon.

Both teams blistered the nets in the opening 20 minutes with Furman grabbing a 37-36 halftime lead. The Paladins shot 56% from the field and connected on 9-of-12 three-point attempts. The Wildcats made 13-of-26 first half shots, including six treys.

Furman stretched its lead to 43-38 with 17:25 remaining before the Wildcats reeled off a 13-2 run to take a 51-45 lead with under 13 minutes left. Davidson opened a 10-point cushion, but a Stanley Jones layup and Jadee Jones three trimmed the lead to 60-55 with 5:14 to go. The Wildcats held Furman over the final five minutes converting 6-of-8 free throw attempts to hold on for the final 71-63 margin.

Jason Richards netted 18 points and Stephen Curry chipped in 15 to join Sander in double figures. Davidson shot 48.0% (24-50) from the floor for the game and connected on 17-of-22 attempts at the charity stripe.

Eric Webb and Moussa Diagne each tallied 13 points, while Robby Bostain added 11 for Furman. Diagne hit 3-of-5 treys, but the Paladins made only 1-of-11 second half three-pointers as a team.

Davidson returns to action Saturday when it travels to Wofford. Furman will travel to the College of Charleston on Saturday for a 6 p.m. contest. The game will be televised live by CSS.

Videos from the Davidson/Furman game

Curry drives and dishes to Sander for a basket and a foul.


Jason Richards hits a 3-pointer.


Thomas Sander puts a good move on his man.


More to come as I get them uploaded.....

A few more pictures from tonight

Postgame interview with Kilgo.

Davidson moves to 14-3, 5-0 SoCon

The crowd at the Bi-Lo Center tonight.
Didn't I tell you that place would be empty tonight? Yes, that is an entire upper tier that you can't really see above the lower tier. It holds 16,000.....there were maybe 2000 in attendance.

Wildcats defeat Furman, 71-63

Jason Richards & Thomas Sander talk after the game.

How would I describe that game? Well, let's just say I'll take a scrappy, sloppy win and go home.

The scorer's table was absolutely pathetic. They screwed up the shot clock about 5 different times. McKillop even yelled at the scorer's table in the first half "Get your butts in the game!" (meaning that the table official did not have his head in the game).

The officiating was not all that great. When I say that, it is not so much that there were bad calls made, but that the officiating often times dictated the flow of the game, instead of simply governing the game (I hope that makes sense). Ideally, the officials would not be noticed all that much. Tonight they were front and center.

Steph didn't play particularly well, and Thomas Sander was his usual self (the heart and soul). There never seemed to be much flow to the offense. However, that is going to happen. It's a sign of a good team when they have a game like that, and still manage to pull out a victory. Sort of like how Tiger Woods can be off his game, but still knows how to scrape together a good enough score to win.

MPG did play pretty well. Overall the team did hustle a great deal. Lovedale was scrappy, and Boris (despite missing a wide-open dunk) played hard. Jason Richards was the glue, along with Sander. Davidson did rebound pretty well, but I haven't seen the stats. There were several possessions where Davidson got 3 or 4 offensive boards.

Good road victory against a pretty good team. Furman can shoot 3s and had some good cuts to the basket. I would say they are a much better coached team than they were under Larry Davis.

I'll take that one and go home with a "W".

Also, it's great to have a Davidson game played 2 miles from my house!

PS: I also forgot to mention how the scoreboard operator gave a Furman basket to Davidson, then gave the basket to Furman, but didn't take it away from Davidson. Then, FINALLY, the ref came over, and I guess they got the "book" out or something, and finally figured out the &*$%#@ score. It was really quite ridiculous. I've never seen a scorer's table so horribly managed in a game.

BEAT FURMAN!!

Preview from Davidson website

'Cats Look For 10th Straight Win and to Remain Unbeaten in SoCon

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Coming off an 81-73 victory over College of Charleston to run their winning streak to nine, the Davidson Wildcats look to remain perfect in SoCon play with a 7 p.m. tip against longtime league foe Furman, Wednesday evening at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C. The contest between the Wildcats and Paladins marks the 145th meeting between these two clubs on the hardwood.

Davidson’s current stretch of nine consecutive ranks tied for sixth in the nation among NCAA Division I schools. The Wildcats enter the affair 13-3 overall and 4-0 in conference play with their last setback coming at Duke on Nov. 25.

Click here for entire article.