Cats overcome slow first half to win exhibition, 82-58

"We are climbing a different mountain this year. But we still know that we have to take it one step at a time." -Coach McKillop

Boris Meno led all scorers with 21 points as the Wildcats overcame a paltry first half to beat Lenoir-Rhyne 82-58 in the season-opening exhibition game. Meno had a monster second half on both sides of the floor as he helped the Wildcats spark an offensive explosion with defensive blocks and big plays in the paint. Meno was only credited with 2 blocks, but he had more than that.

Jason Richards and Stephen Curry also had strong moments in the second half as they led the Wildcat fast break and the defensive pressure. The Cats forced 11 second half turnovers and Richards and Curry accounted for four of them. The Cats finished well at the end of the break with nice layups and kickouts.

Richards finished only one assist and one rebound away from a triple-double while Curry put up 13 points, despite 6 turnovers.

"We definitely used our defensive pressure to our advantage," Curry said afterward. "It said a lot about our team to respond to adversity and open up a big lead."

The Wildcat bench also showed some spark as Rossiter, Barr and Archambault contributed key minutes and big shots. Archambault found the lane on several ball drives and was effective at breaking down the defense with his athleticism. He finished with seven points while Barr had nine.

The Wildcats could not pull away from the quick Lenoir-Rhyne squad in the first half. Many of the three-point attempts fell way short and the 'Cats looked slow off the ball.

"We were definitely playing with cement in our shoes," said McKillop. "But that's what these games are meant to do. Show you how to deal with adversity and give you experience with playing in the spotlight with the crowd."

A full post-game writeup can be found on www.davidsonwildcats.com.