Box Score
Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women’s basketball team led wire-to-wire Wednesday, taking a 60-45 South Atlantic Conference decision over Newberry College in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court on the Wingate campus. The Bulldogs (11-12 overall, 5-8 overall) split the season series with the visiting Newberry Wolves (16-7 overall, 8-5 SAC).

Wingate junior forward Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) notched her ninth double-double of the season, leading both teams with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Bulldog freshman forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) added 12 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes playing time. Guards Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) and Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) contributed nine points each.
 
Newberry redshirt freshman guard/forward Samantha Creed (Montmorency, Victoria, Australia) had 14 points, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots to lead the Wolves. Junior forward/center Devanee Taylor (Chester, Va.) had 10 points and a team-best eight rebounds for the visitors.
 
“Tonight was a big win for us,” Wingate head coach Ann Hancock says. “The SAC is incredibly competitive and on any given night, anyone can beat anyone else. Chantal Dunbar was the key in getting us started in the first half. She is relentless on the boards. Morgan McGee was a huge spark off the bench and gave us a needed burst of offense in the second half.” 
 
Dunbar hit a short jumper to give Wingate a 21-4 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first half. The 17-point bulge was the Bulldogs’ largest advantage Wednesday. Newberry finished the half on a 14-7 push to get the deficit to 28-18 at intermission. Four different players contributed to the half-ending run, with Creed and sophomore guard Zara Pearson (Echuca, Victoria, Australia) hitting triples. Dunbar led all scorers with 10 first-half points.
 
A Creed three-point field goal pulled the visitors within one (30-29) at the 13:55 mark. McGee hit her first hoop of the night on the next possession (13:37), starting a string of five consecutive baskets for the Riverside High School product. McGee’s fourth bucket nudged Wingate’s lead to 38-31 with 11:06 to go.
 
Newberry junior guard/forward Tasia Holdorf (Anchorage, Alaska) hit a triple and Taylor converted an inside hoop to make the score 38-36 one minute later. McGee hit her fifth field goal in five tries to push Wingate’s lead to 40-36. Newberry senior guard Kendra Brown (Swansea, S.C.) made a fast break lay-up to cut the margin to two for the final time (40-38) with 9:02 left in the contest.
 
Dunbar and Wollett made inside jumpers to build Wingate’s lead to 44-38 at the 7:05 mark. Newberry would cut the deficit to four, but the Wolves could get no closer. The Bulldogs finished the game on a 16-5 run to settle the final margin. Wingate junior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) scored all eight of her points during the final five minutes.
 
Wingate outrebounded Newberry 54-22. Williams flirted with her second career double-double, as she pulled down eight boards to go with her eight points. Senior center Jecia Anderson (San Antonio, Texas) and sophomore forward Brooklyn Boston (Lenoir, N.C.) had five rebounds each for the hosts. “Our rebounding effort was outstanding,” Hancock says. “I thought we played more under control down the stretch.” 
 
Wingate shot 41.9 percent from the floor (26-of-62), while Newberry made 34 percent of its field goals (18-of-53). The Wolves hit four-of-15 three-point field goals, while the Bulldogs made three-of-seven from downtown. Wingate’s Bonner hit two-of-three triples, while Creed led Newberry with two three-pointers in six attempts.
 
Both teams play home games Saturday. Newberry hosts Carson-Newman (2 p.m.), while Wingate entertains Mars Hill (2 p.m.). The Bulldog women’s basketball team will participate in the 2013 Play 4Kay initiative (formerly known as WBCA Pink Zone) Saturday. Fans are asked to wear pink to the game. Breast cancer survivors in attendance will be recognized at halftime. Wingate fans can donate on the team’s Play 4Kay donation page at this link. Donations will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Newspaper Box Score
Newberry vs Wingate
02/13/13 6 p.m. at Wingate, N.C.

WINGATE WOMEN 60, NEWBERRY 45
NEWBERRY (16-7 overall, 8-5 SAC)
Creed, Samantha 5-13 2-2 14; Taylor, Devanee 5-9 0-0 10; Holdorf, Tasia 2-5 2-4 7; Brown, Kendra 3-9 1-3 7; Gleeson, Ellie 2-6 0-0 4; Pearson, Zara 1-8 0-0 3; Staley, Jessica 0-1 0-0 0; Matijevic, Rebecca 0-0 0-0 0; Lepaio, Haylee 0-1 0-0 0; Dunsmore, Kirsten 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-53 5-9 45.
WINGATE (11-12 overall, 5-8 SAC)
Dunbar, Chantal 8-15 1-1 17; McGee, Morgan 6-7 0-0 12; Bonner, Kelli 3-4 1-4 9; Wollett, Sarah 4-12 0-2 9; Williams, Janitsha 3-12 2-4 8; Boston, Brooklyn 1-4 0-0 2; DeBerry, Jasmine 1-2 0-0 2; Thompson, Jakari 0-2 1-2 1; Burnick, Sarah 0-2 0-0 0; Anderson, Jecia 0-2 0-0 0; Logan, Tish 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-62 5-13 60.
Newberry......................   18   27  -   45
Wingate.......................   28   32  -   60
3-point goals--Newberry 4-15 (Creed, Samantha 2-6; Holdorf, Tasia 1-2; Pearson, Zara 1-6; Staley, Jessica 0-1), Wingate 3-7 (Bonner, Kelli 2-3; Wollett, Sarah 1-4). Fouled out--Newberry-Brown, Kendra; Holdorf, Tasia, Wingate-None. Rebounds--Newberry 22 (Taylor, Devanee 8), Wingate 54 (Dunbar, Chantal 13). Assists--Newberry 11 (Creed, Samantha 5), Wingate 10 (Wollett, Sarah 6). Total fouls--Newberry 17, Wingate 16. Technical fouls--Newberry-None, Wingate-None. A-325
SAC basketball, Cuddy Arena & Thomas Koontz Family Court, Wingate U.
Wingate hosts Mars Hill Saturday, Feb. 16 (Play 4Kay, 2 p.m.)
Newberry hosts Carson-Newman Saturday, Feb. 16 (2 p.m.)