Box Score
Newberry, S.C.----Newberry College concluded the game with a 18-9 run to take a 66-55 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball victory over number 24 Wingate University Wednesday night in Eleazer Arena. Wolves junior center Haylee Lepaio (Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia) had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the hosts.
 
The Wolves' fourth consecutive win ends a six-game victory string for the visiting WU Bulldogs. Pre-season SAC favorite Newberry is 13-6 overall and 9-6 in the SAC. Wingate is 15-4 overall and 11-4 in the SAC. The Bulldogs are tied for first place in the league standings with Lenoir-Rhyne (16-4 overall, 11-4 SAC).
 
Newberry senior guard/forward Tasia Holdorf (Anchorage, Alaska) led all scorers with 23 points. She hit eight-of-13 field goals and three-of-four from downtown. Wolves senior guard/forward Ellie Gleeson (Albury, New South Wales, Australia) added 11 points, including a seven-of-eight performance from the charity stripe.
 
For Wingate, senior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) scored in double figures for the 25th consecutive game with a team-best 17 points. The All-SAC performer pulled down eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) had 12 points, while sophomore forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) contributed 11 points.

McGee tied the game for the eighth (and final) time on an inside hoop with 4:34 to go, knotting the score at 48-48. The Bulldogs made only three field goals the rest of the way (including two in the last 37 seconds) as the Wolves pulled away.
 
Lepaio made a traditional three-point play to give the Wolves a 51-48 lead with 3:40 left. Holdorf made a lay-up on the next trip down the court to push Newberry's advantage to 53-48. Holdorf's hoop was Newberry's last field goal, as the Wolves made 13-of-14 free throws in the final 2:27 to settle the final margin.
 
Wingate trailed 26-23 at intermission. Lepaio led both teams with nine points and 10 rebounds. Williams had seven points and seven rebounds in the opening stanza. Wingate started the second half on a 9-2 run, taking a 32-28 lead on a Williams bucket at the 17:31 mark.
 
Newberry put together a 13-1 push, as Holdorf concluded the flurry with back-to-back triples to give the Wolves a 41-33 lead with 11:44 to go. Wingate's 11-3 run tied the contest 44-44. The two teams traded baskets before Lepaio gave the hosts the lead for good with her three-point play.
 
Newberry shot 43.8 percent from the floor (21-of-48), 46.2 percent from three-point land (six-of-13) and 18-of-21 from the free throw line (18-of-21). Wingate shot 48.1 percent from the field after halftime to finish the game at 35.5 percent (22-of-62). The Bulldogs hit only eight-of-17 free throws and three-of-12 three-point field goals.
 
Williams and Harris had eight rebounds each for the Bulldogs, but Newberry held a slight 35-33 rebounding edge. Wingate held a 34-14 advantage on points in the paint. Both teams scored 17 points each off turnovers.
 
Wingate returns home Saturday, hosting Anderson (S.C.) for a 2 p.m. contest. The Bulldog women's basketball team will be hosting a Be The Match® Marrow Donor Registry Drive Saturday in Cuddy Arena on the Wingate campus from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. The drive honors University of North Carolina head women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell, who was diagnosed with leukemia in October of 2013.