Brevard, N.C.----Wingate University freshman guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) hit the game-winning hoop with 17 seconds left to give the visiting Bulldogs a 72-69 South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball victory over Brevard College Saturday afternoon in Boshamer Gymnasium.

Williams tied her career-high with 24 points as Wingate improves to 17-9 overall and 12-6 in the SAC. The Statesville High School product recorded her first career double-double with a career-best 10 rebounds. Brevard concludes its season 6-22 overall and 2-16 in the SAC. 

Wingate junior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot for the visitors. Sophomore guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) contributed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Brevard junior guard/forward Lindsay Brendle (High Point, N.C.) had 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the hosts. She topped the BC charts in scoring and rebounding. Sophomore guard Micheala Watkins (Forest City, N.C.) added 14 points.

Williams scored 15 of her 24 points after intermission. She hit eight-of-12 field goals Saturday, including seven-of-10 in the pivotal second half. Thanks to the efforts of Williams and her teammates, the Bulldog bench outscored the Tornado reserves 32-19.

The second half was a battle, featuring eight ties and nine lead changes. Neither team led by more than six points the entire afternoon. A Micheala Watkins’ lay-up with 15:04 remaining gave Brevard a 48-43 advantage. The five-point edge was the Tornados’ largest lead of the game.

The Bulldogs tied the game on its next two possessions. A Williams’ triple knotted the contest at 48-48 with 14:09 to go. Neither team would lead by more than three points the rest of the way.

A Brendle lay-up gave Brevard a 59-57 lead with 7:40 to go. The two-point margin was the hosts’ final lead of the contest. Williams answered 17 seconds later to tie the game for the ninth time. Wollett hit a lay-up at the 6:48 mark to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 61-59.

The Williams jumper and the Wollett inside hoop started an 8-0 run for the visitors. Wingate junior guard Tiffany Brown (Cartersville, Ga.) finished the flurry with two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 65-59 lead at the 4:28 plateau.

The Tornados weren’t finished, as they put together a 6-0 run. Micheala Watkins completed the swing with a lay-up at the 1:43 mark to tie the score at 65-65. The two teams traded points until Williams made her game-changing lay-up on a perfect feed from Rutledge with 17 ticks left on the clock.

Williams was fouled on the play, but she missed the free throw. Brevard missed two shots in the waning moments. The Tornados fouled Bulldog sophomore forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) with six/tenths of a second on the clock. Logan made the first of two free throws to finish the day’s scoring.

Brevard led 36-35 at halftime. Wingate started hot, as Wollett and junior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) hit back-to-back three-point field goals to give the Bulldogs an early 6-0 lead. The six-point advantage was Wingate’s largest of the game.

The Tornados turned an 11-11 tie into a 15-11 lead, thanks to a jumper by sophomore guard Asheley Watkins (Bostic, N.C.) at 13:21 and two Brendle free throws at the 12:58 mark. Wingate would rally to regain a four-point advantage (24-20) on an old-fashioned three-point play by Williams at the 6:14 mark. Brevard would push the margin back to three before settling for the one-point halftime lead. The first half featured seven lead changes and four ties.

Wingate had 19 offensive rebounds, resulting in 21 second-chance points. Rutledge’s seven rebounds were all collected on the offensive glass. Brevard managed only eight second-chance points on 12 offensive boards.

The number two seed Bulldogs will host number seven seed Catawba College in a Food Lion SAC tournament first round contest on Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. The Food Lion SAC Final Four will be held at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6. The Bulldogs have won six Food Lion SAC tournament titles.