Davidson bounces back, knocks off Rhode Island in overtime
Trying to figure out this Davidson basketball team isn’t easy, but forward Bates Jones had a few thoughts on how the Wildcats can stay more consistent and build on games like their 77-75 overtime victory Saturday against Rhode Island at Belk Arena.
“Don’t dwell on the last game,” said Jones, who hit two key free throws in the final minute of overtime Saturday. “If it’s a loss, don’t hang your head. If it’s a win, don’t get fat and happy. Put the last game in the past and just attack the next one. Then we’d be more consistent.”
The Wildcats (14-12, 8-6) had plenty to feel sorry about earlier this week. After two lopsided victories against Fordham and St. Bonaventure, Davidson fell flat Tuesday at last-place Saint Joseph’s, surrendering a 19-point halftime lead and losing 73-72.
With Rhode Island — the league’s second-place team behind Dayton — coming in Saturday, the Wildcats’ season seemed to be hanging in the balance.
But, thanks to guard Kellan Grady’s stifling defense on Rams guard Fatts Russell (eight points) and just adequate-enough free-throw shooting down the stretch, Davidson prevailed. That sets up a home game Tuesday against La Salle, which has won just four games in the league. That means, based on recent history, there’s no telling how the Wildcats will respond.
“If we don’t show up to play, we’re going to lose, no matter who we play,” said senior guard Jon Axel Gudmundsson, who scored 23 points to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists against the Rams (19-7, 11-3).
The Wildcats were in control for much of the game, leading by as many as nine early in the second half. With the 6-foot-5 Grady (who also scored 21 points) hounding the 5-10 Russell (who entered the game second in the A-10 scoring at 20.2 points per game), points weren’t coming easily for Rhode Island.
“What did Kellan play, 45 minutes?” Gudmundsson said. “I think it was all Kellan. When Fatts got past him, our bigs did a great job on ball screens. So all credit to Kellan and our bigs. They wore (Russell) down the whole game.”
But the Rams rallied. Russell hit a 3-pointer (just second basket of the game) with 5.4 seconds left in regulation, sending it to overtime after Rhode Island’s Jeff Dowtin (21 points) blocked a Gudmundsson layup as the buzzer sounded.
The Rams jumped to a 73-70 lead early in overtime, but Davidson — making five of eight free throws in the final minute, had just enough.
Davidson overcame 18 turnovers to win.
“The one disappointing factor tonight was the turnovers,” said Davidson coach Bob McKillop. “We lost our balance and vision. If you don’t have your balance and vision, you’re going to turn it over.”
Davidson had 21 turnovers in a 73-62 loss at Virginia Commonwealth earlier this month. The Wildcats had begun to build some momentum before that game, but weren’t physical enough against the Rams that night.
When McKillop returned home early the next morning, his wife Cathy asked him if games like that didn’t make him want to consider retiring.
“I said to her, going to the gym and working with these kids validates and affirms everything I believe in about coaching,” said Bob McKillop, who’s in his 31st season at Davidson. “It’s never painful, never sorrowful going to the gym with these guys.
“I’m going to show them film about (the Rhode Island) game on Sunday, and there will be some things in there that I’m not happy about. But they’re going to try and get better from it. They won’t object, won’t be woe is me. They’ll take ownership.”