Hickory, N.C.----The second-seed Wingate University women’s basketball team will face sixth-seeded Carson-Newman College in the semi-finals of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex Saturday in Hickory, N.C. Tip-off is slated for 2:30 p.m. The Bulldogs have won six Food Lion SAC tournament titles.

Wingate is 18-9 overall; the Bulldogs finished second in the conference regular season standings, posting a 12-6 ledger in the SAC. Wingate defeated Catawba 68-62 Wednesday night in the Food Lion SAC tournament quarterfinals. The C-N Eagles won both regular season contests. The winner of the Wingate versus Carson-Newman contest will advance to the championship game Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

All-SAC

Bulldog junior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) has been named to the All-SAC first team, league officials announced Friday. It is the third consecutive All-SAC selection for Washington and the second straight year she has earned first team accolades. In addition, freshman guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) was named to the All-SAC Freshman team.

Washington leads the Bulldogs and ranks ninth in the SAC with 13.8 points per game. She is shooting a league-best 43.2 percent from three-point range, while ranking eighth in the conference in free throw percentage. Washington reached 1,000 career points in Wingate’s victory at North Greenville this season.

Washington has scored double figure points 19 times in 27 games this year, while scoring at least 15 points 11 times. She scored 20 points in Wingate’s victory over Livingstone. Washington hit 13-of-14 free throws to score 20 points in the win over Lincoln Memorial.

The McDowell High School product scored a season-high 30 points in the victory over King. Washington’s 18 points on five-of-five shooting from the field and eight-of-eight shooting from the free throw line led the ‘Dogs past 2010 regional champions Tusculum. She had a streak of seven consecutive games scoring at least 13 points in the second half of league play, capped by a 16-point performance in Wingate’s win over Mars Hill.

Williams finished third on the team and 20th in the SAC with 10.2 points per game. She was even better in conference games, averaging 11.1 points per contest. Williams is seventh in the league, shooting 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, while her 81.7 percent shooting from the free throw line is also good for seventh in the conference. Williams hit 87.3 percent of her free throws in SAC play, ranking second in the league.

Williams hit double figures 13 times in 27 games. She scored 13 points in 19 minutes in her season debut, helping Wingate defeat Belmont Abbey in the season opener. She scored 18 points on six-of-nine shooting against Georgia College. Williams had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead Wingate past Lincoln Memorial. She had 24 points on seven-of-11 shooting in the win over Mars Hill. Williams finished the regular season with her first career double-double, scoring 24 points on eight-of-12 shooting, while pulling down 10 rebounds.

This year

Carson-Newman swept the season series with Wingate. On Saturday, Feb. 5, C-N senior guard Katlin Moore scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Eagle women’s basketball team to a thrilling 87-83 over Wingate in Cuddy Arena. The setback was Wingate’s first loss in Cuddy Arena during the 2010-11 season (in eight games).

Moore filled up her statistics ledger with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. She hit 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. C-N senior guard Mandy Mendenhall had 17 points, six assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots. Eagle junior forward Zoriah Williams had a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Wingate junior guard Tiffany Brown (Cartersville, Ga.) had 17 points to lead the Bulldogs. Washington had 15 points, converting eight-of-eight from the foul line. Bulldog junior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) had 14 points on six-of-eight accuracy from the field, while senior guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.) contributed 12 points and four assists in a reserve role.

The contest featured five ties and 11 lead changes. C-N had 23 fast-break points, compared to only 12 for the Bulldogs. The Eagles blocked nine Bulldog shots in the February contest. Eagle freshman forward Shannon Depew recorded four rejections. She added eight points and four rebounds in only 14 minutes.

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, Carson-Newman overcame a 16-point second half deficit to defeat Wingate 54-50 in Holt Fieldhouse. Depew had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead the C-N attack. Williams added 12 points and 10 boards for the Eagles.

Brooks had 11 points and six rebounds to lead the Wingate offense. Washington and Rutledge added eight points each for the Bulldogs. Sophomore guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) recorded seven points and four assists.

Sophomore forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Bulldogs their largest advantage at 38-22 with 14:10 remaining in the contest. The Eagles had the emphatic answer, going on a 17-0 run to take a 39-38 lead at the 7:45 mark.

Both teams struggled from the field in the December meeting. Carson-Newman shot 29.7 percent for the game, while the Bulldogs shot only 24.6 percent. Wingate hit 14-of-16 shots from the free throw line (87.5 percent), while the Eagles hit 11-of-14 from the charity stripe (78.6 percent). The Bulldogs converted 19 Carson-Newman turnovers into 17 points.

SAC statistical champions

Wingate earned three SAC statistical champion honors this year. The Bulldogs will be recognized between the first and second semi-final Saturday. Wingate’s honors (with numbers through Wednesday’s games) include:

Team Field Goal Percentage Defense - Wingate, .370
Team 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Wingate, .383
Team Free Throw Percentage - Wingate, .756

Barbara Nelson earns USA Basketball award

In recognition of the USA’s outstanding gold-medal performances at the inaugural men’s and women’s FIBA U17 World Championships in 2010, USA Basketball named Barbara Nelson, head coach of the USA U17 women and Wingate (N.C.) University and Don Showalter, head mentor for the USA U17 men and Mid-Prairie (Iowa) High School, as the 2010 USA Basketball Co-Developmental Coaches of the Year.

Nelson and Showalter each led USA teams to undefeated performances in 2010, with Nelson capturing the women’s FIBA U17 World Championship title July 16-25 in Toulouse and Rodez, France and Showalter bringing home gold on the men’s side July 2-11 in Hamburg, Germany.

A basketball coach since 1986, Nelson undertook her second USA coaching assignment in 2010, having also led the USA to a gold medal and a qualifying berth for the 2010 U17 World Championship at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women in Mexico City.

At Wingate (2007-08 to present), Nelson has led the Bulldogs to a 76-41 record. During her first season, the 2007-08 Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight as champions of the South Atlantic Region. Wingate (26-8 overall) completed the 2007-08 season as the 10th-ranked team in the country. Wingate also won the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament on the way to the Elite Eight.

Prior to joining Wingate, Nelson spent 21 seasons (1986-87 through 2006-07) as the head coach at Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., where she compiled a 437-176 overall record (.713 winning percentage) and collected seven North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships and nine conference titles. She passed the 500-victory plateau (college and high school) this year.

NCAA regional rankings*

                       Division II   Division II
                       Overall      In-Region
1. Clayton State        27-0         27-0
2. Lander               24-2         25-2
3. USC Aiken            21-3         22-4
4. Georgia College      18-6         18-6
5. Francis Marion       16-8         16-8
6. Barton               22-4         22-4
7. Tusculum             16-8         18-8
8. Wingate              17-9         17-9
9. Mars Hill            16-8         18-8
10. Limestone           17-8         17-8

* (NOTE: Records through Saturday, Feb. 26)

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on two campuses in Wingate and Matthews, North Carolina. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 38 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 47 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.