Jack Gibbs pilots Davidson with 43 points in A-10 win over UMass

Jack Gibbs has not-so-quietly become the “go-to guy” for a short-handed Davidson men’s basketball team this season.

But the Wildcats needed Gibbs to step up Saturday against Massachusetts.

The 6-foot junior guard scored a career-high 43 points to lead Davidson to an 86-74 Atlantic 10 victory over the Minutemen at Belk Arena.

Gibbs also had eight rebounds and eight assists for the Wildcats (11-5, 3-2), who had to fend off a streaky-yet-pesky Massachusetts team to win their 15th straight home game.

“He’s gone from being a flight attendant to a co-pilot to a pilot,” said Davidson coach Bob McKillop, a big admirer of hero pilot Sully Sullenberger.

“We use that analogy of that USAir flight with the team all the time … but (Gibbs) really flew our plane with poise and absolute efficiency.”

Peyton Aldridge added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and former Charlotte Latin standout Rusty Reigel had a career-best 10 points off the bench for the Wildcats.

Davidson needed the extra help against the Minutemen (8-9, 1-3), who fought back from an 11-point deficit in the first half to take a 35-34 halftime lead.

Massachusetts had pulled ahead 69-67 with 4 minutes, 16 seconds remaining when Gibbs took command. He set up Andrew McAuliffe for a layup to tie the score, then hit a 3-pointer with 3:04 left to put the Wildcats ahead to stay.

Gibbs scored 14 of Davidson’s final 19 points, including the last nine in a row at the free throw line in handing the Minutemen their fourth straight loss.

“He does it all,” Aldridge said of Gibbs. “He’s the leader. He’s got the reins in his hands, and he leads us well. He knows his role, and does a good job doing it.”

Three who mattered

Jack Gibbs: The nation’s No. 4 scorer at 24.4 per game, his third career 40-point game also made him the second Wildcats player (after Brian Sullivan) this season to reach 1,000 career points.

Peyton Aldridge: Aldridge posted his second straight double-double, and the second of his career. His 12 rebounds was also a career best.

Trey Davis: Massachusetts guard scored 30 points, and hit a career-best 8 of 16 3-pointers in leading the Minutemen’s comeback attempts.

Observations

▪ Wildcats senior guard Sullivan missed Saturday’s game with a sprained left ankle, suffered in Davidson’s loss to Dayton on Tuesday. The Wildcats also had to sit forward Jordan Barham early in the first half with soreness in his knee.

▪ UMass led 6-3 in the first two minutes, but went on a scoring drought – more than 6 1/2 minutes, going 0 for 15 from the field – that allowed the Wildcats to build a 19-8 lead midway through the half.

▪ One thing that kept Massachusetts in the game was its 3-point shooting. After missing its first 10 attempts, the Minutemen went 7 of 11 the rest of the first half, and made 12 of 37 for the game.

▪ Massachusetts’ defense also gave Davidson fits, especially with turnovers. The Wildcats, who average 9.7 per game, had 14 Saturday, tying for their second-most this season.

Worth mentioning

▪ Massachusetts guard Donte Clark is a Charlotte native who played at Queen’s Grant High before transferring to Hargrave Military Academy. The Minutemen’s No. 2 scorer (18.1 per game), he had 14 points Saturday.

▪ Massachusetts coach Derek Kellogg was recruited by McKillop to play at Davidson in the early 1990s. Instead, he chose the Minutemen, where he played for current Kentucky coach John Calipari.

▪ The Wildcats travel to Missouri on Wednesday to face Saint Louis in an Atlantic 10 game. Game time is 8 p.m.

They said it

“No, I wasn’t trying for it – I was just making the plays – but it would’ve been nice to get it.” – Gibbs, on coming close to his first career triple-double.

“He’s understanding that he needs to be a complete player – he just can’t be that guy who shows up on the ESPN highlights for making a shot or making a pass. He needs to make the easy pass that doesn’t show up (in the highlights), making a screen, having his arms out on defense, getting a rebound, calling a set and directing players to get in position – those are what made him special today. Those are the kind of things that don’t show up in the highlights, but show up in the win column.” – McKillop on Gibbs.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Jack Gibbs pilots Davidson with 43 points in A-10 win over UMass."