Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----Mars Hill junior guard Brittini Young (Ramseur, N.C.) poured in a career-high 37 points as the Lions knocked off the Bulldogs of Wingate University 101-100 in overtime in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Wednesday evening in Cuddy Arena. The Lions improve to 5-20 overall and 2-12 in the SAC. Wingate falls to 14-10 overall and 7-6 in the conference.

Young hit 11-of-19 shots from the field and 11-of-13 from the free throw line. She also knocked down four-of-six from beyond the arc, while collecting five steals and four assists. Sophomore forward Margaret Harvey (Greensboro, N.C.) added 24 points, hitting nine-of-15 shots from the field.

Sophomore guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) had a career-high 32 points for the Bulldogs, hitting 11-of-19 shots from the field and five-of-nine from beyond the arc. Senior center Stacie Rhodes (Knightdale, N.C.) had 11 points, 11 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists. Freshman guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) had 11 points and eight assists for the Bulldogs, while junior forward CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.) chipped in with 14 points and five assists.

Mars Hill came out hot, jumping out to a 17-5 lead at the 13:28 mark of the first half. Young had nine points in the opening spurt. The Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to slice the lead to four with seven minutes remaining. Freshman forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) had four points in the spurt, while Rhodes capped it with a jumper.

Young answered with a three, followed by a jumper from Harvey to push the lead back to 28-19 six minutes before halftime. Wingate used an 11-3 run to cut the lead to one at the 2:45 mark. Wollett got it started with a three, while Washington finished it with a jumper and two free throws. The Lions had the answer, closing the half on a 12-2 run. Harvey had four points in the spurt, while freshman forward Sasha Zebrowski (Burnsville, N.C.) capped it with a jumper with four seconds left.

The Bulldogs used a 13-4 run to tie the game at 63 eight minutes into the second half. Washington had five points in the spurt, including the layup that tied it. A pair of free throws from Brooks put Wingate on top 68-67 with 11 minutes left. A pair of jumpers from junior forward Jessy Keitt (Charlotte, N.C.), along with a Washington bucket gave Wingate its largest lead of the game at 75-67 at the 9:45 mark.

The Lions chipped away at the lead over the next several minutes. A three-point play from Young tied the game with 3:14 left in regulation. Young would drain a jumper at the 2:33 mark to give Mars Hill a one-point lead. A layup from Wollett, followed by a pair of Brooks free throws gave Wingate an 85-81 lead with 48 seconds left.

Sophomore guard Narcissa Grayson (Danville, Va.) canned a layup to cut the lead to one with 33 seconds to go. Wingate sophomore guard Gladney Brown (High Point, N.C.) answered with a layup for a three point lead with 25 seconds remaining. The Lions once again turned to Young, who drained a three with 16 seconds left to tie it at 88 and send it into overtime.

Jumpers from Young and Grayson, followed by a layup from Young gave Mars Hill a 97-92 lead halfway through overtime. The Bulldogs would not go away, cutting the lead to one on a trifecta from Washington with 35 seconds remaining. Young hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back to three. Washington could not connect on the next possession, and Young knocked down another free throw with seven seconds left. Washington drained her fifth three of the night at the buzzer for the final score.

Mars Hill shot 46.7 percent from the field, while hitting nine-of-19 from three point range (47.4 percent). The Bulldogs shot 46.5 percent, while hitting seven-of-18 shots from beyond the arc (38.9 percent). Wingate held a 50-37 rebounding advantage. Each team had 16 fast break points and 24 points off of turnovers.

Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to Newberry for a 2 p.m. start. Mars Hill hosts Tusculum next Wednesday at 6 p.m. 

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)