Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women’s basketball team bench outscored the Mars Hill College reserves 62-14 en route to an 87-66 South Atlantic Conference victory Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in the SAC. Mars Hill falls to 9-6 overall and 2-4 in the SAC.
 
Sophomore guard Nikki Burton (Charlotte, N.C.) led the Bulldogs with 22 points and seven steals. Sophomore guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) added 16 points, while senior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) and sophomore forward Chantal Dunbar (Norfolk, Va.) contributed 11 points each. Mars Hill redshirt sophomore forward Danielle Tucker (Rochester, N.Y.) led the visiting Lions with 22 points.
 
A Burton jumper with 10 minutes to play in the first half gave Wingate a 22-21 lead they would not relinquish. Washington hit two free throws on the next trip down the court, concluding a 12-2 run for the hosts. Burton had eight of the Bulldogs’ 12 points during the flurry.
 
Wingate stretched the first-half margin to 42-27 on a fast-break jumper by Williams at the 3:35 mark. The Bulldogs settled for a 43-33 lead at intermission. Burton had 12 points, while freshman guard Jade Montgomery (Monroe, N.C.) recorded eight first-half markers. Williams and Washington had seven points each. Tucker had 16 of her 22 points in the opening frame. MHC junior guard Kristen Metcalf (Black Mountain, N.C.) had nine points on the strength of three three-point field goals.
 
A jumper by Dunbar put Wingate up 61-41 with 12:23 remaining in the contest. The Lions answered with a 9-0 run, concluding the explosion with a three-point field goal by senior forward Taylor Deal (Catawba, N.C.) at the 11-minute mark. Washington answered with a triple a minute later; Mars Hill would get no closer down the stretch.
 
Williams hit a short jumper to make the score 83-56 Bulldogs with 3:12 to play. The 27-point bulge was Wingate’s largest lead of the evening. The Bulldogs hit 48.5 percent of their second half field goal attempts (16-of-33), while the Lions managed only 31.3 percent shooting after intermission (10-of-32).
 
An All-SAC freshman team member last year, Williams filled up her statistics ledger with eight rebounds and four steals. On the evening, the Bulldogs had 25 steals. Dunbar and senior guard Tiffany Brown (Cartersville, Ga.) had three thefts each. Brown posted a team-high four assists. Four Wingate players had two steals each.
 
Wingate outrebounded Mars Hill 46-39. Bulldog senior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) had a team-best nine rebounds to go with seven points, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Deal had 10 rebounds for the Lions. Tucker pulled down nine boards.
               
Montgomery established career-highs in points (eight), rebounds (three), steals (two) and blocked shots (one). The Piedmont High School product hit two-of-three field goals and four-of-seven free throws on the way to her eight-point night.
 
Wingate converted 35 Mars Hill turnovers into 49 points. The Bulldogs had 28 fast-break points, compared to zero for the Lions. Wingate concludes its two-game home stand Wednesday, hosting Newberry College at 6 p.m. Mars Hill visits Carson-Newman College Wednesday at the same time.