BOX SCORE

Mars Hill, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs cut an 18-point first half deficit to one, but were unable to complete the comeback, falling to the Lions of Mars Hill College 83-69 in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon. The Lions improve to 11-3 overall and 4-2 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 8-6 overall and 3-3 in the conference. 

Junior All-SAC guard Kurie Washington d (Marion, N.C.) led the Bulldogs with 18 points. Freshman guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) added 16 points, while junior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.

Senior guard Brittini Young (Ramseur, N.C.) led the Mars Hill attack with 22 points. Junior forwards Margaret Harvey (Greensboro, N.C.) and Taylor Deal (Catawba, N.C.) added 16 points each, while Deal pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

A jumper from Washington cut the Mars Hill lead to four at the 9:13 mark of the first half. The Lions answered with a 12-0 run to take a 30-14 lead with 5:22 to go in the half. Harvey knocked down a pair of threes to spark the flurry. A pair of free throws from Deal gave Mars Hill its largest lead of 18 at the 2:02 mark. Wingate scored the last five points of the half, capped by a layup from Rutledge to cut the halftime deficit to 13.

The ‘Dogs used a 10-3 run early in the second half, cutting the Mars Hill lead to six at the 16:49 mark on a layup from Williams. Layups from Brooks and Rutledge cut the lead to two five minutes into the half. A Wollett triple at the 13:45 mark made it a one-point game. A layup from sophomore guard Narcissa Grayson (Danville, Va.) at the 9:18 mark put the Lions back on top by six. The Bulldogs used a Washington jumper and layup from Brooks to get back within one with7:35 to go.

The Lions would knock down five three-pointers in the next three minutes, taking a 74-67 lead on a triple from Young with 4:34 remaining. A layup from Deal with just over a minute left gave Mars Hill a 13-point advantage. The ‘Dogs would get no closer than 12 the rest of the way.

Mars Hill knocked down 11 threes on the afternoon, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc on the day. Wingate shot 35.5 percent from the field, while hitting six-of-17 from three-point range (35.3 percent). Mars Hill held a 50-43 rebounding advantage, scoring 15 second-chance points.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, traveling to Newberry for a 6 p.m. start. Mars Hill hosts Carson-Newman Wednesday night at 6 p.m.