Pembroke, N.C.----Wingate University junior forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) and sophomore guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) scored 14 points each as the Bulldogs rallied for a 56-51 NCAA Division II victory at UNC Pembroke Sunday at the English E. Jones Center on the UNCP campus. Wingate wins its third contest in a row, improving to 3-3 overall. The UNCP Braves are 1-3 overall.
 
McGee had 14 points and seven rebounds, hitting eight-of-12 free throws. Tricoli's 14 points included three three-point field goals (in four attempts). The 2014 All-SAC Freshman team member hit back-to-back triples on consecutive Wingate second-half possessions (6:05, 5:23) as the Bulldogs nursed a late lead.
 
Wingate graduate student forward Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) had 10 points and eight rebounds. Bulldog redshirt senior guard Brittany Hill (Mechanicsville, Va.) had six points, six assists and four rebounds. Hill hit six-of-six free throws in the final 49 seconds to help Wingate ice the victory.
 
For UNC Pembroke, senior forward Jazmine Kemp (Elizabethtown, N.C.) had 11 points. Senior guard Kamille Horne (Greensboro, N.C.) had nine points, while senior post Kierra Haney (Tabor City, N.C.) added eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Haney recorded a game-best three steals as well.
 
"Winning in the road is extremely difficult…today was a total team effort," Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock says. "We played much better in the second half.  Shelby came in and hit a couple of big threes. Morgan played well and Brittany made some clutch free throws down the stretch.
 
A McGee basket gave Wingate the lead for good with 17:30 to play in the contest. Her follow shot made the score 28-27. The Bulldogs opened the second stanza on a 16-6 run with McGee providing seven points. Fittingly, her jumper gave Wingate a 39-30 lead with 10 minutes to play. The nine-point bulge was the visitors' largest lead of the evening.
 
UNC Pembroke cut the deficit to five points on five occasions down the stretch, but the hosts could get no closer. Tricoli's two three-pointers matched two late triples by UNCP sophomore forward Katelyn Mitchell (Knightdale, N.C.). Tricoli's second trifecta gave Wingate a 47-39 lead with 5:23 remaining in regulation.
 
In the first half, UNC Pembroke never trailed en route to a 24-23 lead at intermission. The Braves bolted to a 9-2 advantage on a hoop by sophomore guard Jasmine Huntley (Indian Trail, N.C.) with 16:05 left in the first frame.
 
A jumper by sophomore forward Jonissa Monley (Laurinburg, N.C.) restored the Braves' lead to seven with 6:19 to go. The bucket made the score 20-13 UNC Pembroke. Wingate finished the opening stanza with a 10-4 run. Tricoli completed the flurry with a three-point field goal with 35 seconds to play, cutting Wingate's deficit to 24-23.
 
Tricoli led the Bulldogs with eight first-half points. Sophomore guard Alex Tomlinson (Raleigh, N.C.) added five points. Horne topped the UNCP first-half charts with nine points. Kemp contributed six markers.
 
The UNC Pembroke contest ends a six-game road trip to start the season for Wingate. The Bulldogs host Lander Wednesday at 7 p.m. "It will be nice to play in Cuddy Arena Wednesday," Hancock says. "We are looking forward to the challenge."