Honolulu, Hawaii----Wingate University post players Andrea Bertrand (Midlothian, Va.), Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to a 65-46 NCAA Division II women's basketball victory over BYU Hawaii in the Honolulu Holiday Classic at the Saint Francis School Gymnasium Thursday. Wingate (5-6 overall) shot a season-best 52.1 percent from the floor (25-of-48) in the victory over the BYU Hawaii Seasiders (3-4 overall).
 
Bertrand led the way with 16 points, while Dunbar and McGee contributed 14 points each. When one includes an aggregate 10 points and five rebounds from senior forward Brooklyn Boston (Lenoir, N.C.) and sophomore center Alysia Hudson (Jacksonville, N.C.), Wingate's five post players totaled 54 points and 20 rebounds. Their five BYU Hawaii counterparts had 11 points and 19 boards.
 
BYU Hawaii senior guard Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo (Honolulu, Hawaii) led the Seasiders with 22 points. She hit eight-of-18 field goals (44.4 percent), including five-of-nine from downtown. Her eight teammates converted 10-of-45 field goals (22.2 percent).

"After a really sluggish start, our post players dominated," Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock says. "Andrea, Chantal and Morgan took advantage of some mismatches. I was proud of how hard we played and the way we focused on our execution in the second half.  This is a great way to finish our trip and head into the holiday break."

The two teams battled to a 25-25 tie in the first half. The opening frame featured six tie scores and seven lead changes. Wingate hit 55 percent of its field goals (11-of-20), but the Bulldogs committed 12 first-half turnovers. Dunbar had six points to lead Wingate in the first 20 minutes, followed by Bertrand and Boston with five points each. Tatupu-Leopoldo had 14 markers for the Seasiders.
 
McGee scored the first hoop of the second half (19:07) to put the Bulldogs up 27-25. BYU Hawaii missed two lay-ups on the next possession and McGee scored again (18:19) to give Wingate a four-point advantage. The Bulldogs did not trail the rest of the way and the Seasiders did not tie the contest again.
 
A Dunbar lay-up gave Wingate a 38-30 lead with 12:38 to play. BYU Hawaii answered by scoring seven of the next nine points, capped by two free throws by senior guard/forward Makana Borden (Pearl City, Hawaii) at the 10:28 mark. The two charity tosses cut the Seasiders' deficit to 40-37. BYU Hawaii would get no closer down the stretch.
 
Wingate responded to BYU Hawaii's 7-2 mini-run by scoring 13 unanswered points, taking a 53-37 lead on a McGee jumper at the 4:51 plateau. Five different Bulldogs scored points in the 13-0 flurry, led by McGee with four and senior guard Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) with three.
 
Tatupu-Leopoldo ended BYU Hawaii's (almost) seven-minute field goal drought with a lay-up at the 4:33 mark to make the score 53-39 Wingate. The Bulldogs built their lead to 19 on four different occasions down the stretch with the first occurrence on a Bertrand lay-up with two minutes remaining. The Bertrand bucket gave Wingate a 59-40 lead.
 
Wingate swept the specialty statistics categories, holding advantages in points in the paint (40-14), points off turnovers (25-17), second-chance points (12-6) and bench points (30-10). The Bulldogs outrebounded the Seasiders 40-31, as sophomore guard Alex Tomlinson (Raleigh, N.C.) pulled down a career-high seven rebounds. BYU Hawaii senior forward Whitney Fieldsted (Altamont, Utah) led both teams with nine boards.
 
Both teams return to conference play for their next contests. Wingate hosts Anderson (S.C.) Wednesday, Dec. 31 for a 2 p.m. South Atlantic Conference afternoon matinee. BYU Hawaii visits PacWest foe Hawaii Hilo Saturday for a 4 p.m. tilt.