Women's Basketball Loses to Wingate

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions' women's basketball team lost to the visiting Bulldogs of Wingate University 65-53 Saturday afternoon in Stanford Arena. Wingate improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the SAC. Mars Hill fell to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the league.

For Mars Hill, Ansley Ricker had 13 points. Genice Lane contributed 11 points off the Lion bench. Mars Hill hit only eight-of-31 field goals (25.8 percent) in the first half.

Wingate held Mars Hill to 19 first-half points and Bulldog seniors Kayla Harris and Janitsha Williams both posted double-doubles in the contest.

Harris led the Bulldogs with 17 points. She added 10 rebounds. Williams had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Sharee Boyd contributed eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

Wingate took the lead for good when Brooklyn Boston hit a lay-up from a feed by Kelli Bonner at the 12:14 mark of the first half. Boston's bucket put the visitors up 15-13. On the next possession, Harris hit a fast break hoop to give the Bulldogs a four-point edge.

Ricker hit two free throws for the hosts (10:41) to cut the Mars Hill deficit to 17-15. The Lions would get no closer the rest of the way. Shelby Tricoli made three free throws at the 9:07 plateau to nudge Wingate's lead to five.

The Bulldogs finished the half on a 6-0 run. Tomlinson's fast break field goal gave the Bulldogs a 30-19 lead at the halftime buzzer. The 11-point advantage was Wingate's largest lead of the opening half. Harris had eight first-half points to lead all scorers. Tricoli added seven, while Ricker led the Lions with six markers.

After converting only 31.4 percent of its first-half field goals (11-of-35), Wingate shot 41.9 percent after intermission (13-of-31). A inside basket by Morgan McGee gave the Bulldogs a 45-25 lead five minutes into the second stanza. Two free throws by Boyd (6:52) put Wingate up 57-33 and gave the visitors their biggest lead of the afternoon.

Mars Hill did not go quietly, as the Lions made a 20-8 run to cut the deficit to 12 in the waning moments. Two free throws by Lane did the honors with 45 seconds left, accounting for the game's final points. Lane had seven points in the flurry, while Cadence Wilmoth chipped in five points.

Wingate held a 58-38 rebounding advantage. Lane had eight boards to lead the Lions.

The Bulldogs won four-of-five specialty statistics categories. Wingate outscored Mars Hill 34-18 in the paint, 14-11 off turnovers, 15-9 on second-chance points and 10-8 on fast-break opportunities. Thanks to Lane and Wilmoth (seven points), the Lions' bench outscored the Bulldog reserves 27-17.

Mars Hill will host SAC newcomer Coker College Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. The Lions entertain Winston-Salem State University Dec. 19 (6 p.m.) before visiting King (Tenn.) University Dec. 21 (1 p.m.) to complete their pre-Christmas schedule.