BOX SCORE

Mars Hill, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore guard Nikki Burton (Charlotte, N.C.) hit the game-winner with five seconds to play, giving the visiting Bulldogs a 63-62 South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball victory over Mars Hill College Saturday afternoon in Stanford Arena. Burton’s hoop capped a wild final seven-plus minutes, as Wingate (17-7 overall, 11-5 SAC) rallied from a 12-point deficit.
 
Wingate sophomore guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) scored 15 points off the Bulldog bench, helping the WU reserves outscore their MHC counterparts 34-20. Williams hit six-of-eight field goals and three-of-five triples Saturday. Burton added nine points for the Bulldogs.

Sophomore guard Tyler Carlson (Savannah, Ga.) led Mars Hill (12-13 overall, 5-11 SAC) with 12 points and four assists. Lion junior guard Kristen Metcalf (Black Mountain, N.C.) had 11 points, while senior forward Taylor Deal (Catawba, N.C.) and freshman forward Armeka Booker (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) contributed 10 points each.

The second half featured three ties and eight lead changes. A Williams triple tied the game 36-36 with 13:41 to play in the contest. Mars Hill replied with a big statement, making a 20-8 push to take a 56-44 lead on a lay-up by redshirt junior guard Erica Warren (Danville, Va.). Six different Lion players scored during the run, led by Metcalf’s five markers.
 
Wingate senior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) hit a jumper on the next trip down the court, starting a 10-0 run for the Bulldogs. Williams concluded the flurry with a fast-break lay-up at the 3:38 mark, cutting the Wingate deficit to 56-54. Booker hit an inside bucket at 3:24 to push the Lions’ edge to four.
 
Bulldog junior forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.) answered with a jumper to make the score 58-56 Mars Hill with 2:35 to go. A Lion turnover gave the ball back to the Bulldogs and Williams made the most of the opportunity, taking a feed from Washington and nailing a three-pointer with 2:10 to play. The 2011 All-SAC Freshman team member gave Wingate a 59-58 advantage with her last basket of the day.
 
On the other end, Mars Hill missed three shots before Booker was fouled on an offensive rebound. The Lion newcomer calmly hit both charity tosses to give the hosts a 60-59 lead with 1:18 remaining. Burton (0:26) and Deal (0:11) traded heroic buckets, setting the stage for the West Charlotte High School product to win the game for the Bulldogs.
 
Neither team shot well in the opening frame, as Wingate headed to the halftime locker room with a 31-23 lead. The Bulldogs shot 33.3 percent (10-of-30) in the first half, while the Lions shot an even-chillier 28.6 percent (six-of-21). Ten different Bulldogs scored in the first 20 minutes, led by Williams and senior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) with five points each. Carlson topped the MHC charts with nine points.
 
Wingate outrebounded Mars Hill 43-33, thanks to Rutledge (eight boards), Washington (seven) and Logan (six). Booker and senior guard Jackie Simon (Hackensack, N.J.) had six rebounds each to lead the Lions.
 
Logan scored all seven of her points after intermission, hitting three-of-five field goals in the second half. Thanks to the efforts of Logan and her front-court mates, Wingate outscored Mars Hill 26-20 in the paint. The Bulldogs shot 42.9 percent in the second half (12-of-28), while the Lions converted 48.4 percent of their second-half tries (15-of-31).
 
Wingate will play its third road game in as many outings Wednesday, visiting Anderson (S.C.) University for a 6 p.m. contest. Mars Hill visits Catawba Wednesday for a 6 p.m. league encounter. The Lions honored seniors Deal and Simon in a pre-game ceremony.
 
NOTES
 
Tusculum defeated Catawba 76-60 Saturday afternoon in Salisbury, creating a three-team logjam for first place in the SAC standings. Wingate, Catawba (11-5, 16-8) and Lenoir-Rhyne (11-5, 19-6) are tied for first place with two games to play. The Tusculum Pioneers (10-6, 16-8) are one game back.
 
Wingate is the number five team in this week’s NCAA Division II Southeast Region top 10 rankings. This week’s poll is the first ranking of the 2011-12 season. Defending national champion Clayton State is number one. The SAC occupies spaces four through seven and space nine with Catawba, Wingate, Tusculum, Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry, respectively.
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Newspaper Box Score
Wingate vs Mars Hill
02/18/12 2 p.m. at Mars Hill, N.C.

WINGATE WOMEN 63, MARS HILL 62
WINGATE (17-7 overall, 11-5 SAC)
Williams, Janitsha 6-8 0-0 15; Burton, Nikki 4-10 0-0 9; Logan, Tish 3-8 1-1 7; Washington, Kurie 1-7 4-6 6; Rutledge, Simone 2-9 1-2 5; Wollett, Sarah 0-1 5-6 5; Bonner, Kelli 1-1 1-2 4; Dunbar, Chantal 1-3 2-2 4; Morton, Sequoia 2-4 0-2 4; Thompson, Jakari 1-2 0-0 2; Brown, Tiffany 1-4 0-0 2; Anderson, Jecia 0-0 0-0 0; Boston, Brooklyn 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-58 14-21 63.
MARS HILL (12-13 overall, 5-11 SAC)
Carlson, Tyler 3-12 5-5 12; Metcalf, Kristen 4-7 0-0 11; Booker, Armeka 4-8 2-2 10; Deal, Taylor 3-9 4-6 10; Simon, Jackie 2-5 2-3 6; Westbrook, Amanda 2-3 0-0 6; Warren, Erica 2-3 0-0 4; Tucker, Danielle 1-4 1-4 3; Buckner, Katie 0-0 0-0 0; Ricker, Ansley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-52 14-20 62.
Wingate.......................   31   32  -   63
Mars Hill.....................   23   39  -   62
3-point goals--Wingate 5-13 (Williams, Janitsha 3-5; Bonner, Kelli 1-1; Burton, Nikki 1-2; Brown, Tiffany 0-2; Washington, Kurie 0-3), Mars Hill 6-16 (Metcalf, Kristen 3-6; Westbrook, Amanda 2-3; Carlson, Tyler 1-5; Deal, Taylor 0-2). Fouled out--Wingate-Williams, Janitsha, Mars Hill-None. Rebounds--Wingate 43 (Rutledge, Simone 8), Mars Hill 33 (Booker, Armeka 6; Simon, Jackie 6). Assists--Wingate 15 (Brown, Tiffany 3), Mars Hill 14 (Carlson, Tyler 4). Total fouls--Wingate 17, Mars Hill 20. Technical fouls--Wingate-None, Mars Hill-None. A-350
SAC women's basketball, Stanford Arena, Mars Hill, N.C.
Wingate visits Anderson (S.C.) Wednesday, Feb. 22 (6 p.m.)
Mars Hill visits Catawba Wednesday, Feb. 22 (6 p.m.)