DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Wofford women's basketball team gave a hearty comeback push in the second half Saturday night in John M. Belk Arena, but the Davidson Wildcats held firm to close out a 74-63 win. Both teams move to 2-2 with their respective results.
 
Davidson shot hot with a 49.1 percent overall mark and 44.0 percent clip from three. Wofford posted a solid 37.7 percent overall clip, but the Terriers were held to 25.0 percent beyond the arc. Davidson won the glass, 38-27, but the Terriers won the turnover battle, forcing 17 while committing only 10.
 
Molly Masingale led the charge for the Terriers with 18 points, a career high for the freshman and a new season high for a Terrier. She played physical, drawing plenty of fouls to get to the charity stripe for a 9-of-12 clip. Mia Flor and Evangelia Paulk both posted 15 points to mark a trio of Terriers in double figures. Flor's outing marks her first-career double-digit effort, and she grabbed five boards to top the team. Paulk added three, and she swiped a team-high three steals.
 
Maddie Heiss led the team with three helpers, adding in five points. Helen Matthews totaled six points with four boards and two assists. Indiya Clarke tallied three boards with two points, and Sara Deidda's two points round out the Wofford scoring.
 
Davidson struck first almost two minutes into the contest with a layup, but Mia Flor responded with one of her own immediately after. Though the Wildcats hit a three, Evangelia Paulk and Flor put home back-to-back buckets to push Wofford in front, 6-5. The see-saw first quarter continued with Davidson reclaiming the lead, but Maddie Heiss pushed the Terriers ahead again at the free throw line. The teams continued to trade blows with Davidson pulling in front 14-13. But Paulk drove a layup home to reverse the lead, and Masingale and Paulk both converted at the line for an 18-14 advantage. However, a Davidson trey in the closing seconds of the quarter cut the margin to 18-17 after 10 minutes of action.
 
Paulk hit a jumper to open the second quarter, but the Wildcats responded with a three to tie the contest at 20. Masingale converted at the stripe to push Wofford back in front, but Davidson again tied the game. The Wildcats then hit back-to-back triples, pulling ahead by six before Helen Matthews and Mia Flor converted back-to-back buckets to pull Wofford within two, 28-26. The Wildcats were hot from distance, though, hitting two-straight threes. Despite a Flor trey, the Wildcats closed the half on an eight-point run to lead 44-29 at the break.
 
The teams traded layups out of the halftime break before another Wildcat three. Wofford would convert at the line, and Flor converted a layup. Though Davidson scored again, Heiss buried a three, to bring the score to 53-40. The Terriers took advantage of physical play to get to the free throw line, converting four foul shots in the final minute of the third quarter, including a pair by Matthews in the closing seconds of the frame. But Davidson's bucket with seven seconds left preceded, and the Wildcats led 59-44 going into the final quarter of play.
 
Though Davidson scored first in the final quarter, the Terriers showed no quit with Indiya Clarke converting inside. After a Wildcat three, Masingale put home a driving bucket, and then she buried a triple. A Flor free throw was followed by a Paulk trey, and the nine-point run suddenly had Wofford within nine points (64-55) with 5:34 remaining. A Wildcat and-one broke the run, but Flor got back to the line to convert a foul shot. After some Davidson points, Masingale took charge once more and put home a pair at the stripe before recording a put-back score with a foul drawn for the three-point play. Wofford was back within 10 points (71-61) with 2:17 to go. Time ran thin, however, and almost a minute-and-a-half of scoreless basketball seemingly did in the comeback efforts, but the Terriers continued to fight with a Matthews basket at the 36-second mark. It would be too late, though, as Davidson held on to secure a 74-63 win.
 
Wofford returns home after its three-game road stint to host Southern Wesleyan on Tuesday, November 19. Tip-off inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.