Women’s Basketball Loses at Wingate
Tucker scores 22, pulls down nine rebounds
WINGATE, N.C. - The Wingate University women's basketball team bench outscored the Mars Hill College reserves 62-14 en route to an 87-66 South Atlantic Conference victory Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improved to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in the SAC. Mars Hill fell to 9-6 overall and 2-4 in the SAC.
Nikki Burton led the Bulldogs with 22 points and seven steals. Janitsha Williams added 16 points, while Kurie Washington and Chantal Dunbar contributed 11 points each. Danielle Tucker led the visiting Lions with 22 points and nine rebounds. Taylor Deal followed Tucker with 10 rebounds and seven points.
A Burton jumper with 10 minutes to play in the first half gave Wingate a 22-21 lead they would not relinquish. Washington hit two free throws on the next trip down the court, concluding a 12-2 run for the hosts. Burton had eight of the Bulldogs' 12 points during the flurry.
Wingate stretched the first-half margin to 42-27 on a fast-break jumper by Williams at the 3:35 mark. The Bulldogs settled for a 43-33 lead at intermission. Burton had 12 points, while Jade Montgomery recorded eight first-half markers. Tucker had 16 of her 22 points in the opening frame. Kristen Metcalf had nine points on the strength of three, 3-point field goals.
A jumper by Dunbar put Wingate up 61-41 with 12:23 remaining in the contest. The Lions answered with a 9-0 run, concluding the explosion with a 3-point field goal by Deal at the 11-minute mark. Washington answered with a triple a minute later; Mars Hill would get no closer down the stretch.
Williams hit a short jumper to make the score 83-56 Bulldogs with 3:12 to play. The 27-point advantage was Wingate's largest lead of the evening. The Bulldogs hit 48.5 percent of their second half field goal attempts (16-of-33), while the Lions managed only 31.3 percent shooting after intermission (10-of-32).
On the evening, the Bulldogs had 25 steals. Dunbar and Tiffany Brown had three thefts each. Brown posted a team-high four assists. Wingate outrebounded Mars Hill 46-39.
Wingate converted 35 Mars Hill turnovers into 49 points. The Bulldogs had 28 fast-break points, compared to zero for the Lions. Wingate concludes its two-game home stand Wednesday, hosting Newberry College at 6 p.m. Mars Hill visits Carson-Newman College Wednesday at the same time.