Junior Chris Pearson poured in a career-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the host Davidson Wildcats (12-5, 5-1 SoCon) to a league victory Saturday night over the visiting ETSU Bucs (9-8, 2-4), 73-66.
Pearson knocked down 12 field goals in 17 attempts en route to his second straight game with a double-double.
After taking a 31-28 lead into the locker room at the intermission, the Wildcats started the second half on a 17-4 run, ultimately building an 18-point lead at 53-35.
Davidson held that margin until the Bucs’ Ryan Lawson drained a three-pointer with 12:06 to play, ETSU’s first three-pointer of the game.
ETSU then used a full-court trapping defense that the Wildcats had trouble with.
The Bucs then proceeded to go on a 20-6 run over the next 7:30.
A pair of Dimeco Childress free throws brought ETSU within four before Pearson ended the run with a short jumper to make the score 65-59.
Both teams went scoreless for the next 2:23 until Zakee Wadood tallied a putback for the Bucs with 1:49 to play.
With the Wildcats’ shot clock winding down, junior Peter Anderer made what seemed to be the game clincher with a long three-pointer from 25 feet out.
The Bucs answered quickly, however, as Childress, who finished with 19 to lead ETSU, knocked down a three-pointer of his own with just under a minute left on the clock.
During the Wildcats’ possession, ETSU nearly got a steal with its full-court trapping defense, only to have Davidson slip out of it.
Junior Wayne Bernard then drove the lane, hit a short jumper in the paint and drew the foul for the three-point play, sealing the Bucs’ fate.
For the first time in the last seven games, Davidson failed to drain at least 10 three-pointers. The Wildcats still managed to get eight threes, including three from both Bernard and Anderer who finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Senior Michael Bree, who had the other two treys, also finished in double figures with 10 points.
Davidson shot 51.7 percent (30-for-58) from the floor, marking just the third game all season in which the ‘Cats have broken the 50 percent barrier.
The Bucs made just 25-of-59 field goals (.424), and 13-of-22 (.591) from the free throw line.
Lawson supported Childress’ game-leading effort with 15 points of his own. On the boards, Wadood hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Bucs will get a rematch with the Wildcats when they host Davidson on Feb. 9 at 4 p.m. at Memorial Center.

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