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Wingate, N.C.----Catawba College senior forward Dana Hicks (York, S.C.) recorded her 45th career double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds as the Indians defeated Wingate University 66-59 in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. Catawba improves to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the SAC, while Wingate falls to 7-4 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Catawba senior guard Nisha Long (Dallas, N.C.) led all scorers with 22 points. Freshman backcourt mate Chloe Bully (Hannut, Belgium) contributed 19 points on the strength of a game-high four three-point field goals. Wingate senior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) led the hosts with 10 points. She added eight rebounds as the Bulldogs won the battle of the boards 43-38. The Wingate bench outscored the Catawba substitutes 29-10.
 
The Bulldogs had won the last three meetings between the two teams in Wingate. Both teams struggled early, as the two clubs hit only 16 field goals in the first half. Wingate shot 25.8 percent in the opening frame (eight-of-31), while Catawba managed 36.4 percent (eight-of-22). The Indians led 26-13 on Long jumper with 2:08 remaining in the first half.
 
Wingate started a push, as freshman forward Brooklyn Boston (Lenoir, N.C.) hit two baskets in the final two minutes of the first half. Boston’s second hoop made the score 28-20 at halftime, thanks to a feed from sophomore guard Nikki Burton (Charlotte, N.C.). Bully had 13 of Catawba’s first half points, while Burton led Wingate with eight markers.
 
Catawba shot 51.7 percent after intermission (15-of-29), with Hicks and Long notching 12 points each in the second stanza. Wingate kept battling, utilizing a 9-2 run to take a 47-46 edge on an inside jumper by freshman forward Sarah Burnick (Matthews, N.C.) with 9:36 to go. Burnick’s bucket gave the Bulldogs their only second-half advantage.
 
Indian junior center Maggie Sullivan (Fort Mill, S.C.) sandwiched two baskets around two Long hoops to give the visitors the lead for good. The duo double-handedly scored eight unanswered points to put Catawba up 54-47 with exactly seven minutes remaining. Sullivan hit four-of-four field goals in the second half after a scoreless first frame.
 
Wingate senior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 4:49 to play, cutting the Bulldog deficit to 55-52. The hosts would get no closer the rest of the way, as the Indians padded their lead to as many as nine points down the stretch.

Long, Bully, Hicks and Sullivan (eight points) scored 64 of Catawba’s 66 points. Rutledge was Wingate’s only double-figure scorer. Brown, Burton and Washington scored eight points each for the Bulldogs. Brown flirted with a double-double, as she pulled down a career-high nine rebounds. Burton filled up her stat sheet with four steals, three assists, two rebounds and two blocked shots.

The loss is Wingate’s first at home this season (in five tries). The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, visiting Tusculum for a 2 p.m. contest. Catawba hosts Anderson (S.C.) the same day and the same time.

Newspaper Box Score
Catawba vs Wingate
01/04/12 6 p.m. at Wingate, N.C.

CATAWBA WOMEN 66, WINGATE 59
CATAWBA (7-4 overall, 2-1 SAC)
Long, Nisha 8-18 6-9 22; Bully, Chloe 5-8 5-6 19; Hicks, Dana 5-10 5-10 15; Sullivan, Maggie 4-4 0-0 8; Coleman, Quaneasia 1-1 0-0 2; May, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0; Merritt, Elizabeth 0-5 0-0 0; Lewis, Lauren 0-2 0-0 0; Clay, Mallary 0-1 0-0 0; Connor, Jolysa 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-51 16-25 66.
WINGATE (7-4 overall, 1-2 SAC)
Rutledge, Simone 5-8 0-1 10; Washington, Kurie 3-7 2-3 8; Brown, Tiffany 3-15 1-2 8; Burton, Nikki 3-8 2-2 8; Boston, Brooklyn 3-3 0-0 6; Bonner, Kelli 2-6 0-0 5; Wollett, Sarah 1-8 2-2 5; Williams, Janitsha 2-6 0-0 4; Dunbar, Chantal 0-2 3-4 3; Burnick, Sarah 1-1 0-0 2; DeBerry, Jasmine 0-2 0-0 0; Thompson, Jakari 0-2 0-0 0; Morton, Sequoia 0-0 0-0 0; Logan, Tish 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-69 10-14 59.
Catawba.......................   28   38  -   66
Wingate.......................   20   39  -   59
3-point goals--Catawba 4-11 (Bully, Chloe 4-6; Merritt, Elizabeth 0-1; Lewis, Lauren 0-2; Long, Nisha 0-2), Wingate 3-13 (Brown, Tiffany 1-4; Bonner, Kelli 1-2; Wollett, Sarah 1-3; Williams, Janitsha 0-2; Washington, Kurie 0-2). Fouled out--Catawba-None, Wingate-Brown, Tiffany. Rebounds--Catawba 38 (Hicks, Dana 18), Wingate 43 (Brown, Tiffany 9). Assists--Catawba 10 (Bully, Chloe 3; Long, Nisha 3), Wingate 11 (Burton, Nikki 3; Wollett, Sarah 3). Total fouls--Catawba 18, Wingate 23. Technical fouls--Catawba-None, Wingate-Rutledge, Simone. A-225
South Atlantic Conference women's basketball, Cuddy Arena, Wingate, N.C.
Wingate visits Tusculum Saturday, Jan. 7 (2 p.m.)
Catawba hosts Anderson (S.C.) Saturday, Jan. 7 (2 p.m.)