Women’s Basketball Loses at Wingate

WINGATE, N.C. - Mars Hill women's basketball team lost to Wingate University, 82-50 Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference action in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs improved to 12-12 overall and 6-8 in the SAC. The Lions fell to 5-17 overall and 2-12 in the conference.

Sarah Wollett scored 18 points to lead the Bulldogs. Wollett knocked down four-of-six shots from three-point range on Saturday, adding six assists and two steals. Janitsha Williams added 15 points, six assists and six rebounds, while Chantal Dunbar registered her 10th double-double of the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Kelli Bonner had 15 points, hitting five-of-seven shots from beyond the arc.

Armeka Booker had 12 points and five rebounds to lead the Mars Hill attack. Ansley Ricker added nine points for the Lions, while Kristen Metcalf had eight points.

A jumper from Brooklyn Boston gave the Bulldogs a seven-point lead seven minutes into the first half. Mars Hill battled back, cutting it to two on a three-point play from Katie Buckner with 11:20 remaining in the half. The Bulldogs used a 10-run to push the advantage to 13 three minutes later. Dunbar started it with a bucket, while Boner added a three. Williams capped it with a layup to make it 27-14.

The Lions cut the lead to nine with 5:53 to go on a jumper from Taylor Tate. Wingate pushed the lead back to 13 on a Dunbar jumper with 4:39 remaining. Mars Hill closed the half on an 11-4 run to cut the led to six at halftime. Autumn Ward started it with a three, while Ricker added a three-point play to make it 38-32 at intermission.

The Bulldogs came out on fire in the second half, going on a 24-5 run in the first nine minutes. Bonner knocked down a triple on the first possession of the half, while a Williams three made it an 18-point game four minutes in. Wollett knocked down a pair of triples to push the advantage over 20, while a jumper from Morgan McGee made it 62-37 with 11:21 to go.

Mars Hill would get no closer than 19 the rest of the way. Wingate closed the game on a 15-2 run to make the final margin 82-50. A pair of buckets from Jecia Anderson in the final minute capped the scoring on the afternoon.

Wingate shot 56 percent from the field, shooting 61.9 percent in the first half. The Bulldogs knocked down 11-of-17 shots from three-point range (64.7 percent), while going 15-for-16 from the free throw line (93.8 percent). Mars Hill shot 39.6 percent from the field, shooting just 32 percent in the second half. The Lions were four-for-16 from beyond the arc (25 percent).

Mars Hill hosts Catawba Wednesday at 6 p.m.