DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Wofford women's basketball team fought hard Tuesday against Davidson in the John M. Belk Arena, but the Wildcats claimed an 81-51 win over the Terriers in the contest. Wofford drops to 3-3 on the season while Davidson improves to 5-1.
 
The Wildcats shot 47.0 percent and hit 11 threes in the contest while holding the Terriers to 31.3 percent shooting and 5-of-20 from three. Davidson earned its biggest advantage on the glass with a rebounding lead of 53-29, including 14 offensive boards. But Wofford won the turnover battle, committing just nine giveaways while forcing 14 Davidson miscues. The nine turnovers are the fewest in a game for the Terriers this season. Wofford also played a cleaner game in terms of fouls, committing 10 to the 14 of Davidson.
 
Junior Rachael Rose led the Terriers as one of three in double figures. She posted 19 points with a pair of threes alongside a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Freshman Maddie Heiss added 12 points with three boards and an assist with two steals to tie for the team lead. Senior Annabelle Schultz had 11 points with three triples alongside six boards and a steal.
 
Freshman Evangelia Paulk scored seven points with four rebounds and two steals, matching Heiss for the team lead. Senior Ja'Rae Smith rounds out the scoring with her two points, and she added an assist. Freshman Vitolia Tuilave knocked away three blocks in the game, the first denials of her career and the most by a Terrier this season. She added a steal and an assist. Sophomore Indiya Clarke tallied three boards.
 
Davidson opened the scoring off the opening tip, hitting a three-pointer just 13 seconds into the contest. The Wildcats opened with the first nine points, with Wofford's first bucket coming from Rachael Rose at the 6:54 mark. An Evangelia Paulk layup at the 5:30 mark pulled Wofford within seven points, 13-6, but Davidson used a nine-point run to create some separation. The teams traded threes in the final 30 seconds of the quarter, Wofford's by Annabelle Schultz, making the score 25-9 after 10 minutes of action.
 
Rachael Rose opened the second quarter with a three, and back-to-back buckets from Maddie Heiss later brought Wofford within 12 points, 28-16. But Davidson continued to answer each Wofford blow, yet undeterred the Terriers kept pushing as Annabelle Schultz sank a trey at the 3:26 mark, cutting the deficit to 13, 36-23. Davidson's layup in the final minute made its lead 38-23 entering the halftime break.
 
Wofford claimed two buckets in the first minute and 10 seconds of the second half thanks to Rachael Rose and Maddie Heiss, but Davidson continued to answer. Heiss put home a layup late in the quarter that was followed by a Rose three-pointer, but the Wildcats had already done damage beyond the arc themselves. Aided by four threes in the third quarter, Davidson led 63-38 entering the final frame.
 
The Wildcats earned the first seven points of the fourth quarter, but Wofford continued to fight. Evangelia Paulk went to the free throw line, and Annabelle Schultz then went driving after a Davidson turnover for a paint score. Schultz would hit a triple at the 4:06 mark, and Rachael Rose worked her way to the free throw line multiple times for three buckets there. Ja'Rae Smith drove in and tallied the game's final points with a layup with 29 seconds to go. But Davidson continued its scoring in the midst of it all, claiming an 81-51 win.
 
The Terriers will now get almost a week between games with the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to the court next Monday, November 27. Wofford will host Southern Wesleyan for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium as the first tilt in a four-game homestand.