Box Score
Hickory, N.C.----Lenoir-Rhyne University sophomore guard Jazmine Charles (Lexington, N.C.) scored 18 points, helping the Bears take a hard-fought 55-53 victory over Wingate University Wednesday night in Shuford Gymnasium on the L-R campus. Charles hit two-of-three three-point field goals and eight-of-12 free throws for Lenoir-Rhyne (13-6 overall, 8-3 SAC).
 
Wingate senior guard Sarah Wollett (Raleigh, N.C.) and freshman forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) tallied 11 points each for the Bulldogs (10-11 overall, 4-7 SAC). McGee had a team-best eight rebounds. Wingate has lost two straight contests, while the L-R Bears snap a two-game losing skid.   
 
Dunbar hit an inside hoop to give Wingate a 34-32 edge with 16:51 to play. Lenoir-Rhyne scored seven unanswered points to take a 39-32 lead at the 12:59 plateau, thanks to a Charles three-point field goal.
 
The Bulldogs battled back, taking a 42-41 lead on a jumper by sophomore forward Brooklyn Boston (Lenoir, N.C.) with 7:56 remaining in regulation. Bear junior forward Whitney Brinkley (Asheville, N.C.) hit a hoop on the next trip down the court, giving the hosts the lead for good 43-42 at the 7:39 juncture.
 
A lay-up by L-R sophomore guard Jenni Gust (Colfax, Wis.) made the score 50-46 Bears with five minutes to play. Lenoir-Rhyne would not score another field goal, but Wingate could not take advantage.
 
Wingate had the ball three times with a chance to tie or take the lead in the waning moments. Charles made three-of-four free throws in the final 24 seconds to seal the deal. She made two-of-two with three seconds left to give L-R a 55-50 lead. Wollett hit a three-point field goal at the buzzer for the final margin.
 
In the first half, Williams gave Wingate an 18-13 lead with her lay-up at the 10:23 mark. The Bears answered with an 11-1 run to take a 24-19 advantage on a Charles triple with 4:37 left before halftime. Three different Bears (Charles, junior guard Danielle Bongiorno and freshman guard Jordan Hiatt) hit trifectas during the flurry.
 
A Charles lay-up kept the lead at five (26-21) with 3:10 to go. The Bulldogs finished the frame on a 7-2 push to tie the score 28-28 at intermission. McGee, Boston and sophomore forward Sarah Burnick (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed baskets to the half-ending run. Charles led the Bears with eight first-half markers. McGee topped the Bulldog charts with seven points, while sophomore guard Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) and junior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) notched six points each.

Wingate shot 37.3 percent from the floor (22-of-59), while Lenoir-Rhyne hit 35.4 percent of its field goal attempts (17-of-48). The Bear bench outscored the Bulldog reserves 31-13, thanks to Charles’ game-high scoring effort. Lenoir-Rhyne outrebounded Wingate 41-32, thanks to eight boards from Hiatt and seven rebounds from junior forward Nneka Awuruonye (Charlotte, N.C.). SAC leading rebounder and Wingate junior forward Chantal Dunbar (Norfolk, Va.) had seven boards to support McGee’s eight caroms.
 
Wingate visits Tusculum Saturday at 2 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne hits the road as well, venturing to Carson-Newman for a 2 p.m. tip-off. Both the Bulldogs and the Bears will look to sweep the season series with the Pioneers and the Eagles on Saturday.