Early tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee in a recent practice and is lost for the season.

It's the first major injury for Early, who was a conference player of the year in both basketball and volleyball in high school.

"I've been really fortunate, but I guess I was due," says Early, who graduated last spring.

A guard/forward, Early was injured when her knee collided with the knee of a member of a men's practice team last month. Many women's teams, including those at powerhouse programs Connecticut and Tennessee, train against men. But in the collision, Early's kneecap dislocated, which caused the ACL to tear.

The 6-foot-1 Early averaged 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, but started the season with a 23-point performance in an 82-67 exhibition win over Winston-Salem State on Nov. 4. Early started the season opener Nov. 11 at Clemson and had seven points and three rebounds, but eight turnovers. She came off the bench against Mercer and High Point.

"I'm glad I got a couple of games in and saw how (coach Michele Savage) wants to use me," says Early.

Now that she's relegated to the bench, Early is trying to make the most of it and learn from the sidelines. But for someone as active as her, she says that's a challenge.

"It's really frustrating," says Early. "I really want to play and really want to shoot. ... I've just really, really tried to focus on remaining positive, what I'm able to do now and not what I'm not able to do."

Because she only participated in three games, Early qualifies for a medical red-shirt.

Davidson is 4-4 overall after Saturday's 64-46 win at Western Carolina in its Southern Conference opener. Sophia Aleksandravicius is the team leader with 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The Wildcats return to action Dec. 17 at home against College of Charleston.