Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team will look to sweep the season series with Mars Hill University as the Lions come to town for a 2 p.m. South Atlantic Conference contest Saturday in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Winners of five straight league contests, the Bulldogs are 14-3 overall and 10-3 in the SAC. The MHU Lions are 4-13 overall and 3-10 in the SAC (free HD video, live statistics).
 
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Wingate held Mars Hill to 19 first-half points and Bulldog seniors Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) and Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) both posted double-doubles in a 65-53 SAC victory at Stanford Arena. Harris led the Bulldogs with 17 points. She added 10 rebounds. Williams had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore forward Sharee Boyd (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

"Our game against Mars Hill will be tough," Wingate head coach Ann Hancock says. "They have talented players who are capable of playing really well. They do a nice job of executing their offensive sets and defensive schemes which puts them in position to be in lots of games.  They have players who shoot the ball well so that also makes them a dangerous team."

"We will have to be disciplined to limit them to one shot and keep them off the boards," Hancock says. "Playing in Cuddy is always nice; we are looking forward to being in front of the home fans again."

Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court have been kind to the Bulldogs this year, as Wingate has won nine home games in 10 attempts this season. Most recently, Harris and Williams combined for 44 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five steals as the hosts edged SAC newcomer Coker College 68-63 Wednesday night.

Harris hit nine-of-14 field goals as she eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the third time in her last four games. Her statistics ledger included 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Williams posted 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Bulldog sophomore point guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) had six points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Harris leads Wingate with 16.3 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. She also tops the Bulldog charts in individual field goal percentage (50.2). Williams is next with 16.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. Harris and Williams are fifth and sixth, respectively, on the SAC scoring charts.
 
For Mars Hill, junior guard Ansley Ricker (Greeneville, Tenn.) is second in the SAC with her 18 points per game. Only Lenoir-Rhyne junior guard Jazmine Charles (19.1 points per game) outscores Ricker. In the first meeting between Wingate and Mars Hill this season, Ricker led the way with 13 points.
 
Wingate has won six consecutive games against the Lions. Mars Hill hit 11 three-point field goals in its last victory over Wingate, an 83-69 conquest on Jan. 15, 2011. The Lions aren't shy about hoisting three-point field goal attempts, as they have 295 shots from downtown this year. Ricker has 39 triples to top the Lion list.
 
Wingate held a mammoth 58-38 rebounding advantage in the December meeting with the MHU Lions. The Bulldogs have outrebounded their opponent in 15 of 17 games this season. Neely, Boyd and sophomore forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) average 5.1 rebounds per game (each) to support Wingate's rebounding efforts. McGee contributes 8.4 points per game overall and 10.0 points per game in the Bulldogs' 10 home contests.
 
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.