Free HD Video     Live Stats

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team returns to action Saturday, hosting South Atlantic Conference foe Carson-Newman University for a 2 p.m. contest in Cuddy Arena on the Bulldog campus. The Bulldogs (8-1 overall, 4-1 SAC) bring a six-game winning streak to Saturday's match-up with the league-leading C-N Eagles (8-3 overall, 5-0 SAC). The encounter is Wingate's first game in 16 days.
 
On Dec. 19, Wingate put together its best shooting performance of the season, taking a 76-53 Future Bulldog Day victory over Lees-McRae in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Senior forward Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) recorded her fifth double-double of the season with game-high totals of 25 points and 11 rebounds as Wingate hit 30-of-60 field goals for an even 50 percent.
 
Wingate head coach Ann Hancock is pleased with her team's holiday work. "This group is focused," Hancock says. "It is easy to lose focus. They know why they are here."
 
"We tried a different approach this year," Hancock says. "We are concentrating on what we do…rather than spending an inordinate amount of time focusing on the other team. This week, we've made significant repetitions on every man, zone, out-of-bounds and press scheme we have."
 
"Carson-Newman loves to push the basketball," Hancock says. "In practice today, we worked on our transition defense…we don't want to give up any easy baskets in transition."
 
The Eagles lead the SAC with their 74.4 points per game. They surrender 70.5 points per game. Wingate averages 69.8 points per game, while permiting a league-low 58.3 points per game. The Bulldogs have allowed more than 55 points only three times this season.
 
Wingate spread the love in the Lees-McRae game, as four players hit double-digit points. Senior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) had 12 points and six rebounds, while sophomore forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) and freshman guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) contributed 11 points each.
 
Williams has topped Wingate's scoring charts five times this year, while Harris has been the team's leading scorer on four occasions. An All-SAC performer last season, Williams paces the Bulldogs with her 16.4 points per game. Harris is next with 14.8 points per game. The USC Aiken transfer is Wingate's top rebounder with 8.9 boards per game.
 
Both Harris (17.4 points per game) and Williams (17.0 points per game) score more in league play. Harris is shooting 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor in SAC contests. McGee (8.6 points per game) and Tricoli (7.9 points per game) are next on Wingate's statistics sheet. Sophomore guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) adds 7.8 points per game. Neely is Wingate's pace-setter in assists (33) and steals (18).
 
For Carson-Newman, sophomore guard Tatum Burstrom (Maryville, Tenn.) is the top scorer with her 12.8 points per game. She also leads the Eagles with her 31 three-point field goals. Eagle redshirt senior guard Chante' Markus (Hummelstown, Pa.) contributes 11.3 points per game. C-N junior forward Whitney Kyle (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and junior guard Lashawnda Peacher (Springfield, Tenn.) are the team's top rebounders with 6.3 and 6.1 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
The two teams have five common opponents. Both teams have victories over Lees-McRae, Tusculum, Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne. Catawba handed Wingate its only loss of the season on Nov. 20. Carson-Newman defeated the Indians on Dec. 7 in Jefferson City. Most recently, the Eagles picked up an 83-71 home court victory over Kentucky Wesleyan on Dec. 18.
 
Carson-Newman won both contests between the two teams last year. On March 2, the Eagles rallied for a 56-50 home triumph at Holt Field House. On Feb. 2, Carson-Newman held host Wingate to season-lows in points and field goal percentage in a 49-46 victory. The Bulldogs shot 23.7 percent from the floor, compared to an almost-as-frigid 30.5 percent for the Eagles.
 
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.