Box Score

Newberry, S.C.----The Newberry College women’s basketball team received huge double-doubles from two players as the scarlet-and-gray survived 68-61 over Wingate University Saturday afternoon at Eleazer Arena on the Newberry campus.

With the victory, Newberry improves to 17-7 overall and 10-4 in the SAC. Wingate is 14-11 overall and 7-7 in the SAC. The Bulldogs visit Lenoir-Rhyne University Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. contest.

Newberry senior center Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Junior teammate Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.) posted 20 points and 16 boards. McKinney hit six-of-20 field goals and five-of-15 from three-point land.

All total, the scarlet-and-gray placed four players in double digits. Junior forward LeAnne Watson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) had 13 points, while freshman guard Amy Browne (Maroochydore, Australia) contributed 10 markers. Browne hit two triples Saturday.

Wingate sophomore guard/forward Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) led all scorers with 29 points. The 2009 SAC Freshman of the Year hit 10-of-15 field goals and four-of-seven three-point field goals. Bulldog junior forward Jessy Keitt (Charlotte, N.C.) added 10 points and five rebounds.

In the pivotal second half, Washington gave Wingate its biggest lead when she hit back-to-back trifectas early in the frame. The second triple put the Bulldogs up 39-29 with 16:38 to play.

McKinney put together a personal 9-0 run to give the hosts the lead for good. She hit three straight three-point field goals, the last one at the 11:59 mark to give the scarlet-and-gray a 42-41 edge. Bulcher hit two free throws with 5:49 remaining to make the score 61-49 and complete a 32-10 explosion for the hosts.

The Bulldogs did not quit, as Wingate cut the deficit to 61-55 on a jumper by sophomore guard Gladney Brown (High Point, N.C.) with 4:14 to play. Two free throws by Keitt made the score 62-59 with 3:07 to go, but the Bulldogs would get no closer.

Thanks to Bulcher and McKinney, Newberry outrebounded Wingate 47-42. Brown led Wingate with seven boards off the bench. Both teams had one hot shooting half. The Bulldogs converted 48.1 percent of their first half attempts (13-of-27), while the hosts hit 43.3 percent of their second half tries (13-of-30). Both teams shot in 30th percentile for the game.

Wingate’s bench outscored the Newberry reserves 18-2. The scarlet-and-gray held an 18-7 advantage in second-chance points. Wingate tallied 32 points in the paint, compared to 22 points in the lane for Newberry. The Bulldogs missed ESPN The Magazine All-America® candidate Stacie Rhodes (Knightdale, N.C.), who did not play Saturday. The senior center was attending the funeral of her grandmother, who passed away earlier in the week.

In the first half, Wingate started strong. The Bulldogs led 10-2 on a jumper by junior forward Stefani Shuey (Charlotte, N.C.) at the 14:57 mark. Washington and Keitt contributed four points each to the opening flurry. Newberry rallied, putting together a 16-6 run to take an 18-16 lead on a McKinney jumper at the 7:03 plateau.

The 18-16 advantage was Newberry’s only first half lead. A free throw by freshman forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) nudged Wingate’s lead to 31-24 with 38 seconds left in the opening frame. Bulldog junior guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.) hit a jumper with one second to go, making the halftime score 33-26 Wingate.