Box Score

Mars Hill, N.C.----Wingate University junior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) scored a season-high 22 points to lead the Bulldogs past the Lions of Mars Hill College 69-62 in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon. Wingate improves to 8-6 overall and 2-2 in the SAC, while the Lions fall to 3-9 overall and 0-4 in the conference.

Williams hit nine-of-13 shots from the field, knocking down eight-of-nine shots from two-point range. She added nine rebounds and five steals on the afternoon. Freshman forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) had 14 points, three rebounds and three steals, while junior forward Chantal Dunbar (Norfolk, Va.) contributed 11 points and seven boards. Sophomore guard Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) had eight points, while tying a career high with six assists.

Armeka Booker had 24 points to lead the Mars Hill attack, hitting eight-of-14 shots from the field and eight-of-nine shots from the free-throw line. Ansley Ricker added 14 points, connecting on three-of-six shots from beyond the arc. Kristen Metcalf registered 11 points for the Lions.

Wingate came out hot, taking an 11-4 lead less than three minutes into the contest. McGee had six points in the opening spurt, while Williams added a triple. Mars Hill responded with an 8-0 run, taking a 13-11 lead on a layup from Booker with 13:13 remaining in the half.

The Lions used an 8-0 run to take a 30-21 lead with 4:13 remaining. Ricker knocked down a pair of threes in the flurry. The Bulldogs responded with an 8-1 run to end the half. Williams and McGee started the flurry with buckets, while senior guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) capped it with a layup six seconds before halftime, trimming the Mars Hill advantage to 31-29 at intermission.

The run continued in the second half, with the Bulldogs scoring the first eight points to take a 37-31 lead on a layup from McGee with 18:12 remaining. Williams added a layup to put Wingate on top by seven two minutes later. The Lions trimmed the lead to two on a free throw from Autumn Ward with 14 minutes to go. Dunbar connected on three free throws to push the Bulldog lead back to seven with 11 minutes left.

A triple from Ricker, followed by a layup from Warren tied the game at 52 with 6:39 remaining. Bonner knocked down a triple and a jumper on Wingate’s next two possessions to put the Bulldogs on top by five. Mars Hill got back to within three, but free throws from Wollett and senior forward Tish Logan (Suitland, Md.), along with a steal and a layup from Williams pushed the lead to seven with 3:11 to go. Mars Hill would get no closer than five the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field, while knocking down four-of-11 shots from three-point range (36.4 percent). Mars Hill shot 44.2 percent from the field, hitting six-of-15 shots from beyond the arc (40 percent). The Bulldogs had a season-high 15 steals, converting 24 Mars Hill turnovers into 21 points. Wingate outscored the Lions 14-2 in fast-break points, while holding a 32-30 rebounding advantage.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, traveling to Newberry for a 6 p.m. start. Mars Hill hosts Carson-Newman Wednesday at 6 p.m.