Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) had 19 points and six rebounds, leading the Bulldogs to a 65-53 NCAA Division II Southeast Region victory over Belmont Abbey College Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Williams hit a game-high four three-point field goals Saturday.
 
The triumph gives Wingate a 5-1 overall record entering Wednesday's South Atlantic Conference road contest at defending league champion Anderson (S.C.) University. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. in the Abney Athletic Center. Belmont Abbey (5-3 overall) returns home to host Barton College in a Conference Carolinas match-up Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the Wheeler Center.
 
Bulldog sophomore forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) had 11 points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) recorded her first Wingate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Neely's statistics ledger included team-high totals of five assists and three steals.
 
For Belmont Abbey, junior forward McKenzie Owen (Burlington, N.C.) had 17 points. Crusader sophomore guard Morgan Midkiff (Mount Airy, N.C.) contributed 16 points, six assists and four rebounds, while senior forward Melisa Foures (Kernersville, N.C.) had a team-high eight rebounds.

Wingate led 35-30 at the halftime break, as seven players found the scoring column. Neely and Williams led the way with eight points each, while McGee contributed six markers. Midkiff and Owen had 11 and nine points, respectively, for the visitors. Wingate shot 44.1 percent (15-of-34) in the opening frame. A Williams' triple gave the Bulldogs the lead for good (7-4) with 16:56 to play.
 
McGee, Neely and Williams scored one basket each as Wingate tallied the first six points of the second half, taking a 41-30 advantage on a short jumper by Williams with 18:07 to go. A jumper by Abbey junior guard/forward Ashia Holmes (Salisbury, N.C.) cut the Crusader deficit to 41-32 14 seconds later, but the visitors would get no closer down the stretch.
 
Another trifecta by Williams put Wingate up 46-32 with 14 minutes remaining. A traditional three-point play by McGee on an assist from sophomore forward Sharee Boyd (Charlotte, N.C.) gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the day 61-44 at the 6:27 mark. The final margin was the closest the Abbey would get in the waning moments.
 
Wingate hit six three-pointers Saturday, including four in the second half. Williams was four-of-nine from downtown, while junior guard Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) and freshman guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) hit one triple each. Belmont Abbey managed only one-of-16 shooting from behind the arc (6.3 percent); the Crusaders entered the contest averaging 4.7 three-pointers made per game.
 
The Bulldogs outrebounded the Crusaders by a slim 41-40 margin. Neely's 10 rebounds is a Wingate career-high. Senior forward Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) pulled down seven caroms, while Williams added six. Foures and Holmes led the Abbey with eight and seven rebounds, respectively.
 
Belmont Abbey outscored Wingate 32-22 in the paint and 14-4 on fast breaks. The Bulldog bench outscored the Crusader reserves 16-12. Belmont Abbey held a slim 10-9 advantage in points off turnovers. Both teams collected six second-chance points each. The score was tied once in the first half with one lead change in the opening frame.

Newspaper Box Score
Belmont Abbey vs Wingate
11/30/13 2 p.m. at Wingate, N.C.

WINGATE WOMEN 65, BELMONT ABBEY 53
BELMONT ABBEY (5-3 overall)
Owen, McKenzie 7-13 3-4 17; Midkiff, Morgan 6-19 3-5 16; Bishop, Larisa 3-6 0-0 6; Holmes, Ashia 3-4 0-0 6; Fox, Candace 2-4 0-0 4; Long, Kelsey 2-7 0-0 4; Brown, Tajanna 0-2 0-0 0; Foures, Melisa 0-4 0-0 0; Ranson, Caitlyn 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 23-64 6-9 53.
WINGATE (5-1 overall)
Williams, Janitsha 7-13 1-1 19; McGee, Morgan 4-8 3-3 11; Neely, Amber 5-13 0-0 10; Tricoli, Shelby 1-4 4-5 7; Harris, Kayla 3-9 0-0 6; Boyd, Sharee 2-4 1-2 5; Bonner, Kelli 1-6 0-0 3; Boston, Brooklyn 1-2 1-2 3; Walker, Taylor 0-2 1-2 1; Tomlinson, Alex 0-1 0-0 0; Lewis, Tameka 0-0 0-0 0; DeBerry, Jasmine 0-1 0-0 0; Hudson, Alysia 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 11-15 65.
Belmont Abbey.................   30   23  -   53
Wingate.......................   35   30  -   65
3-point goals--Belmont Abbey 1-16 (Midkiff, Morgan 1-7; Fox, Candace 0-1; Long, Kelsey 0-3; Ranson, Caitlyn 0-5), Wingate 6-22 (Williams, Janitsha 4-9; Bonner, Kelli 1-5; Tricoli, Shelby 1-1; Harris, Kayla 0-1; Walker, Taylor 0-2; Neely, Amber 0-4). Fouled out--Belmont Abbey-None, Wingate-Harris, Kayla. Rebounds--Belmont Abbey 40 (Foures, Melisa 8), Wingate 41 (Neely, Amber 10). Assists--Belmont Abbey 9 (Midkiff, Morgan 6), Wingate 16 (Neely, Amber 5). Total fouls--Belmont Abbey 15, Wingate 12. Technical fouls--Belmont Abbey-None, Wingate-None. A-250
NCAA Division II women's basketball, Cuddy Arena, Wingate, N.C.
Wingate visits Anderson (S.C.) Wednesday, Dec. 4 (6 p.m.)
Belmont Abbey hosts Barton Wednesday, Dec. 4 (5:30 p.m.)