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citycat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 8708 Location: charlotte, nc

Before the UNC-CH-Duke women's game, the announcer said it was the 96th time these schools have played, the first game being in '76.

Davidson played UNC-CH in February '75 in Charlotte. It is amazing we played the Tar Heels before Duke did.

Had Davidson invested a little money in women's basketball back when few schools took it seriously, we would have won more than our share of games and would have a great tradition. Instead, the program was snuffed out in '86 and the little bit of scholarship money was diverted to volleyball.

catnhat · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 6397 Location: Asheboro, NC

Weren't we DIII in women's sports until the NCAA deemed that unacceptable?

citycat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 8708 Location: charlotte, nc

We played DIII tennis through '85, but we had scholarships in basketball through '85-'86. That's hard to reconcile with current NCAA policy, but we managed to do that.

We probably began offering those few women's hoops scholarships in the late '70s to diffuse Title IX concerns.

We tried to play DIII football post-Gatto, but the NCAA forced the DIII teams with DI basketball teams to move to FCS. That's why and when the Pioneer League began.

catnhat · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 6397 Location: Asheboro, NC

I don't know of any scholarship basketball players in the Class of '84. M. Frankhouser was very good ('83?), but when she graduated the team struggled as if they were all walk-ons.

Joneohcat83 · Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Posts: 275 Location: Cooperstown, NY

ChantillyCat · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 3969 Location: Chantilly, VA

Mike is top 10 in career points and top 5 in career rebounds. That will still be true after Mackenzie and Justine are done.

That's impressive given how many games they played back then.
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...coming out of the murky, dreary jungle of untutored mediocrity.

i77cat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 24279 Location: mooresville, nc

Good numbers. Not one of our 20 best players. Not even close.
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"McKillop is a gentleman. He could have played 'name that score' if he so desired."---St Joe's fan

wildforthecats · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 18388 Location: Matthews NC

Is the Jen O'Brien festival this Saturday the 27th?

ChantillyCat · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 3969 Location: Chantilly, VA

Affirmative.

And the alumnae weekend carries over into Sunday. Alumnae game is at 10 am.
_________________
...coming out of the murky, dreary jungle of untutored mediocrity.

wildforthecats · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 18388 Location: Matthews NC

i77cat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 24279 Location: mooresville, nc

Had a nice visit with JOB on Friday. Always a pleasure.
_________________
"McKillop is a gentleman. He could have played 'name that score' if he so desired."---St Joe's fan

citycat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 8708 Location: charlotte, nc

Lavetta Dawkins was a scholarship player in '85-'86. She switched to volleyball when that sport replaced basketball.

We were winless in '83-'84. We were 3-18 in '84-'85. Two of those "wins" were forfeits against Converse. The real win was against Meredith. We were 8-12, or so, in '82-'83. The schedule did not get more difficult in '83-'84. We kept the same coach from '83-'86, so she wasn't blamed for the horrible drop off.

In '85-'86, we were 10-8. Perhaps we added scholarships for that season, which would help explain the improvement. There was a long article in the Observer about Lavetta Dawkins that season. She was a freshman from Garinger High School in Charlotte.

There are posters on the board who were attending Davidson during those seasons. They should know what was going on.

Joneohcat83 · Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Posts: 275 Location: Cooperstown, NY

Waitress · Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 12021 Location: Chambana

citycat · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 8708 Location: charlotte, nc

See if you can find that article about Lavetta Dawkins.

A Davidson athletic official told me at the time when the basketball program was terminated at the end of '85-'86, the players with those scholarships were transferred to a volleyball team. Dawkins was one of them.

This transaction explains why volleyball has a small number of scholarships. Nowhere near the NCAA maximum, but more than 0.

It is possible the first women's scholarships were awarded in '85-'86. That may explain why the team improved from 1 win in '84-'85 to 10 in '85-'86.

We had questionable athletic leadership during that period. One year, we made it into the spring semester having one less women's sport than the NCAA required. When they pointed it out to us, a Women's Golf team was hastily assembled. They played one season. Another sport was added the next year.