Box Score Box Score (pdf)
 
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Despite achieving its highest scoring output of the season, sinking 26 field goals, winning the turnover battle and outrebounding the Wildcats, the Wofford women's basketball team dropped its Southern Conference opener, 88-74, at Davidson on Saturday from John M. Belk Arena.
 
Down just five at halftime, Wofford (2-5, 0-1 SoCon) saw Davidson (4-6, 1-0 SoCon) go 5-of-7 in the first four minutes of the second half to open up a double-digit lead. It remained intact the rest of the way and grew to as many as 18, 75-57, with 4:28 to play, concluding an 8-0 run after Wofford had brought the deficit to 10 just two minutes prior.
 
Davidson lit up the nets, shooting 54.7 percent (29-53) on the afternoon, including a mark of nearly 60 percent in the second half. Dakota Dukes and Laura Murray were the catalysts, combining for 55 Wildcat points. Dukes scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting (90.9 percent) and gathered a game-high 12 rebounds, while reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, Murray, had 25 points, including a 4-of-5 mark from 3-point range.
 
The Terriers shot 37.7 percent (26-69), taking 16 more attempts than Davidson but making three less field goals. Wofford turned the ball over a season-low 14 times, forced 19 Wildcat turnovers and outrebounded the home side, 40-37, but Davidson's hot shooting was just too much to overcome. Its 88 points marked a season best.
 
Wofford had four players score in double figures, led by sophomore Jordan Frazier who tied a career high with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Frazier, one of the national leaders in steals per game (3.8), came away with four steals and a career-high five rebounds. Senior Logan Morris had 14 points, five boards and a team-high three assists, while junior Lauren Kirby had 12 points to go along with six rebounds and freshman Kentra Washington achieved a career-high 10 points and five boards with two blocks. Sophomore Ashton Fleming was also impressive, tying her career high of nine rebounds and scoring nine points after having no points and two boards at halftime.
 
"We knew Davidson was a good shooting team and that we would have to get out on their shooters," Wofford head coach Edgar Farmer said. "I give them credit because they hit some tough shots. It gave them momentum, which made it tough on us.
 
"On the flip side, we put the ball in the basket tonight and it is something to build on. We know our defense will improve. Our players never stopped competing, stayed in the ball game and kept chopping the lead down. We did some good things offensively, but now need to go back and sure up our defense."
 
Davidson was hot from the start, making four shots on its first four possessions to grab an early 8-2 lead. It extended to seven points, 10-3, after two made free throws from Dukes, and got back up to seven again, 14-7, after a made 3-pointer from Murray.
 
Frazier responded with Wofford's first trey of the ball game and, after a Dukes layup, Washington was good from long range to cut the lead to three, 16-13. Wofford then scored the game's next six points to conclude a 9-0 run ahead 19-16 halfway through the period.
 
After Davidson went over five minutes without scoring, turning the ball over with offensive fouls and Terrier steals, Shneeka Center ended the drought with her first 3-pointer of the afternoon to tie the score at 19. It sparked a 14-4 Davidson run to put the home side up 30-23 with three minutes to play in the half.
 
Washington followed with a big play and a chance to score four points on one possession. The freshman made a layup and got fouled after the basket went in, going to the line for a 1-and-1 and a chance to bring the lead down to three. Unfortunately, the first missed, Davidson rebounded and Dukes drained two free throws on the other end to bring the lead back up to seven.
 
Wofford got the last possession of the half and made it count as Frazier hit a layup two seconds before the buzzer to make it a five-point game, 32-27, at the intermission. Frazier led Wofford with 10 points and Dukes had 14 for the Wildcats. Davidson got to the free throw line more, going 9-of-11 to Wofford's 3-of-5.
 
Murray and Hannah Early barraged the Terriers through the beginning of the second half. The two combined for Davidson's first 11 points in just over three minutes, and Wofford could not keep up to fall behind by double digits.
 
At the first timeout, the Wildcats were 5-of-7 in the half while the Terriers were 3-of-5 with two turnovers. Kirby cut the lead back to single digits at the 15:02 mark, but Murray was unstoppable. She hit two free throws, two jumpers and a 3-pointer, accounting for nine straight Davidson points. Then, Dukes turned it on after Wofford had brought the lead back down to 10, scoring six of Davidson's next eight points.
 
Still, the Terriers hung around through the onslaught. Made threes from Morris and sophomore Chanel Stokes got a 16-point game back down to 12. A few possessions later, Stokes got to the line and hit two, bringing the margin back down to 10 once more, 67-57, with 5:54 remaining.
 
A big 8-0 Davidson run followed that took just a minute and change. It quickly padded the cushion to 18, giving the Wildcats their biggest lead. Dukes was a big part of it, scoring four of the eight points.
 
To Wofford's credit, it kept fighting and did not let the game get out of hand. Six straight Terrier points got the margin back to 12. The two sides traded points for a few minutes, helping Davidson run some clock. Wofford got back within 11 on a Frazier trey at the 1:09 mark, but not enough time remained for another push and the Wildcats took their SoCon opener.
 
After finals week, the Terriers will be back in action next Saturday, Dec. 14, making the short trip to Gardner-Webb. Tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
 
Terrier Notes
- Sophomore Jordan Frazier tied her career-high of 20 points and grabbed a career-high five rebounds.
- Freshman Kentra Washington scored a career-high 10 points and had a career-high five boards.
- Junior Ashton Fleming tied her career-high of nine rebounds and was a point shy of her career-high with nine.
- Davidson improves to 30-14 against Wofford in the all-time series.
- Wofford falls to 3-14 in SoCon openers.