BOX SCORE

Salisbury, N.C.----The Catawba College Indians rallied for a 58-56 victory over the visiting Bulldogs of Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Wednesday night in Goodman Gymnasium. Catawba improves to 9-4 overall and 3-0 in the SAC, while Wingate falls to 6-5 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Wingate’s last three losses have been by a total of seven points, including a one-point overtime loss to Georgia College its last time out. Freshman guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) led the Bulldogs with 13 points, knocking down three-of-five shots from three-point range. Sophomore forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) scored all eight of her points in the first half, while junior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) added seven points.

Senior guard Milica Ivanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) scored all of her game-high 14 points in the second half to lead the Indians. Junior center Dana Hicks (York, S.C.) added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Kisha Long (Dallas, N.C.) contributed 10 points.

Triples from Williams and sophomore guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.), along with a free throw from Wollett, put the ‘Dogs on top 17-10 at the 9:06 mark of the opening half. Catawba scored the next nine points, capped by a three from senior guard Anna Dellapenta (Thomasville, N.C.) to take a 19-17 advantage with six minutes remaining in the frame.

Back-to-back threes from Williams, along with a lay-up from senior guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.), gave the Bulldogs a 27-19 lead. Catawba trimmed the lead to four on a jumper from freshman guard Courtney Mull (Sanford, N.C.) at the 2:33 mark. A lay-up from junior guard Tiffany Brown (Cartersville, Ga.) with 35 seconds left put the ‘Dogs on top 31-25 at halftime.

A lay-up from Washington, along with a free throw from freshman forward Shey Brown (Rockingham, N.C.), gave Wingate a 40-32 lead nine minutes into the second half. The Indians cut the deficit to two on a jumper from Ivanovic and a pair of free throws from Hicks. A lay-up from freshman forward Chantal Dunbar (Norfolk, Va.) gave the ‘Dogs a 44-41 lead at the 6:27 mark.

Ivanovic drained a three at the 5:35 mark to give Catawba its first lead of the second half at 46-44. A pair of free throws from Hicks pushed the Catawba lead to five with 3:21 remaining. Rutledge and Williams answered with buckets to trim the lead to one at the 1:27 mark. After the teams traded baskets, Ivanovic knocked down a triple with the shot clock running down, giving the Indians a 58-54 lead with 23 seconds remaining. A lay-up from Wollett trimmed the lead to two with 15 seconds to go, but the Bulldogs could not foul Catawba until there was under a second remaining in the game.

Wingate shot 40.4 percent from the field, while hitting four-of-10 from three-point range (40 percent). Catawba shot 31.3 percent from the field, while knocking down eight-of-26 shots from beyond the arc (30.8 percent). The Indians held a 49-35 rebounding advantage, while Wingate outscored Catawba 32-18 in the paint.

The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, hosting Tusculum College at 2 p.m. Catawba travels to Anderson (S.C.) University Saturday at 2 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.)