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SPORTS

Davidson routs UNC Greensboro 75-54

Thursday, February 5, 2009
(Updated Friday, February 6 - 5:43 am)

GREENSBORO (AP) - Stephen Curry let both shots and passes fly from long range, hitting a teammate with a perfect alley-oop. Moments later, he sliced across the lane and lofted a pretty flip shot with his left hand.

The nation's leading scorer put on another show before a big crowd - and while he refused to look too far ahead, he wouldn't mind coming back next month.

Curry scored 29 points and Davidson beat North Carolina-Greensboro 75-54 on Thursday night to move within one win of matching the longest league winning streak in Southern Conference history.

"We've got to learn from this experience. If we get back, we'll be comfortable playing here," Curry said. "But we don't want to take that too far. If we get Greensboro again, it would be pretty fun."

He had 18 points at halftime and hit the 20-point mark for the eighth straight game. Steve Rossiter had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Andrew Lovedale added 12 points and 10 boards for the Wildcats (20-3, 13-0).

Davidson clinched its fifth straight 20-win season and claimed its 43rd straight victory in SoCon play - the longest active streak of its kind in Division I. With a win against the College of Charleston on Saturday night, Davidson will tie the league record set by Jerry West-led West Virginia from 1956-60.

"We just don't think about (records like that)," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "We approach every game as an opportunity to get better. ... We had that last year, and it paid off pretty well for us."

Ben Stywall scored 13 points and Kendall Toney added 12 for UNC Greensboro (3-18, 2-10), which lost its sixth straight.

The Wildcats made themselves right at home inside the Greensboro Coliseum, which usually seats 23,500 but was reconfigured for a listed sellout crowd of 11,687. Now, the darlings of last year's NCAA tournament hope they'll be back next month to start another deep run through the bracket. Greensboro is one of eight first- and second-round host sites.

And, naturally, all eyes were on every move Curry made.

"Stephen is magnificent at taking what's there. He didn't ooh and aah the crowd," McKillop said. "The expectations that are put on his shoulder every time he steps on the court are extraordinary. I would venture to say that a significant reason for the crowd was Stephen Curry, as well as the Greensboro administration.

"He has now met this experience every place he's gone in the Southern Conference," he added. "He handles it like a champ. He handles it as a poised veteran."

Curry, who entered averaging 28.9 points, has scored at least 20 points 20 times this season and, among SoCon teams, only Appalachian State has held him in the teens.

UNC Greensboro mixed a handful of defenders in its attempt to confuse Curry, who finished 10 of 24 - and was just 4 of 12 from 3-point range.

"We rotated on him, tried to keep fresh legs on him at all times, just to give him as tough of a time as we could," Toney said.

But they couldn't stop him from making the plays when the Wildcats needed them.

"A lot of people came to see Stephen play," UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement said. "He didn't disappoint."

The classic Curry highlights from this one came in the final minute of the first half. He heaved up an alley-oop pass that Max Paulhus Gosselin dunked with 43 seconds left, and on his next trip downcourt he hit a left-handed flip shot in the lane with 5 seconds left to make it 37-24 at the break.

"He's so fluid ... I've seen him make that shot on numerous occasions, so I don't think that's a bad shot," McKillop said. "I have yet to yell at Steph for taking a shot. I'm more (inclined) to yell at him for not taking a shot."

Davidson went ahead to stay with a 23-4 spurt during a nine-minute stretch of the first half. UNC Greensboro only briefly got within single figures in the second half before the Wildcats pulled away with a 28-10 burst. Will Archambault's 3-pointer from the corner with about 3½ minutes left gave Davidson its first lead of more than 20 points, 71-49.

Freshman Damian Eargle had 10 points for the Spartans, who have lost six straight in the series.


 

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