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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team hosts the second annual Future Bulldog Day Thursday, Dec. 19, as the Bulldogs will face Lees-McRae College in an 11 a.m. NCAA Division II Southeast Region game in Cuddy Arena. Future Bulldog Day is an event for 600 local fifth-grade students and chaperones to visit the Wingate campus for a day and enjoy tours, motivational speakers and college basketball.
 
"We are thrilled to host Future Bulldog Day again this year," Wingate head coach Ann Hancock says. "It is a tremendous opportunity to expose youngsters to the value and importance of education along with the role athletics plays in the college experience. We would like to thank all the staff, teachers and chaperones from the schools that make this day possible."
 
"Papa John's and OrthoCarolina are our title sponsors this year," Hancock says. "They have been crucial in helping us provide this educational event. It certainly wouldn't be possible without their support. Future Bulldog Day is a win-win for our community and University."
 
The Lees-McRae contest is Wingate's first since Dec. 7, when the Bulldogs defeated South Atlantic Conference foe Mars Hill University 65-53. Bulldog seniors Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) and Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) both posted double-doubles in the road triumph. The Bulldogs are undefeated in four road contests this season.
 
Harris led the Bulldogs with 17 points. She added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Williams had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore forward Sharee Boyd (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs won four-of-five specialty statistics categories. Wingate outscored Mars Hill 34-18 in the paint, 14-11 off turnovers, 15-9 on second-chance points and 10-8 on fast-break opportunities.
 
Wingate is 7-1 overall, owners of five consecutive victories. Williams leads the Bulldogs with 17.0 points per game. Harris is next with 13.5 points per game and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. Williams is second on Wingate's rebounding charts with 8.1 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs outrebound their opponents by eight-plus rebounds per contest (45.8-37.5). Boyd adds 6.0 rebounds per game off the bench. On Dec. 7, Wingate held a mammoth 58-38 rebounding advantage over Mars Hill.
 
Lees-McRae enters Thursday morning's game with a 4-6 overall record. Most recently, the Bobcats dropped a 63-55 Conference Carolinas decision at King (Tenn.) Saturday, Dec. 7. Lees-McRae has had an interesting semester, as the Bobcats traveled to Alaska in late November to participate in the North Star Invitational (hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks).
 
Sophomore forward Alyssa Munson (Summerfield, N.C.) leads the Bobcats with 13.1 points per game. Senior guard Lauren Lewis (Concord, N.C.) is next with 11.6 points per game. Senior guard Layana de Souza (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and junior forward Kerri Belcher (Roanoke, Va.) contribute 11.0 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Belcher is the team's top rebounder with 7.5 rebounds per game.
 
The Bulldogs and the Bobcats have two common opponents this season. Wingate has SAC victories over Lenoir-Rhyne (61-51, Nov. 26) and Mars Hill. Lees-McRae defeated the MHU Lions 82-68 in Banner Elk Nov. 13, while the L-R Bears topped the Bobcats 75-63 at Carson-Newman Nov. 10.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, ranked as the 8th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past seven years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000's with 59 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 59 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 68 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.