Box Score
Greenville, S.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team finished the game on a 20-4 run, taking a 70-59 victory over Anderson (S.C.) University in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament semi-finals Saturday night in Timmons Arena on the campus of Furman University (NCAA box score).
 
Wingate improves to 23-5 overall. The Bulldogs will face number 24 Lenoir-Rhyne University (24-5 overall) in Sunday's 4 p.m. championship game. The winner receives an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division II post-season tournament. Anderson concludes the 2013-14 campaign 16-14 overall.
 
Wingate senior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) and senior forward Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) had 18 points each. Harris notched her SAC-best 15th double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds. Bulldog sophomore guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) joined Harris in the double-double club with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Anderson senior guard Emily Willoughby (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) had 16 points off the Trojan bench. She hit a game-high four three-point field goals (in eight attempts). AU freshman guard Heather Jankowy (Walhalla, S.C.) had 12 points, while junior guard Lesley Woods (Raleigh, N.C.) added 11 markers.

"Tonight was a battle," Wingate head coach Ann Hancock says. "Our players fought hard to have the opportunity to play for a tournament championship against Lenoir-Rhyne tomorrow.  Kayla and Amber were relentless on the boards. As a team, we did a great job of getting to the free throw line. We will need to have the same type of effort tomorrow."
 
Woods hit a triple to put Anderson up 55-50 with 6:38 to play. The Trojans would hit only one bucket the rest of the way, a Willoughby three-point field goal with 2.3 seconds remaining. Neely started Wingate's rally with a three-point field goal, cutting the Bulldog deficit to 55-53 with 6:12 to go.
 
Bulldog junior forward Brooklyn Boston (Lenoir, N.C.) scored her only two baskets of the contest at the most opportune time, giving Wingate the lead for good with back-to-back hoops. She followed a three-point miss to tie the game 55-55 at the 5:27 mark, then hit a lay-up on a Neely dish 33 seconds later to make the score 57-55 'Dogs.
 
Trojan junior guard Sierra Simpson (Simpsonville, S.C.) hit one of two free throws to cut the AU deficit to 57-56 at the 4:19 plateau. Wingate scored 13 unanswered points, converting 11-of-12 free throws in the final 3:56 to settle the outcome. Williams hit a jumper with 2:34 to play, giving the Bulldogs a 64-56 advantage. The hoop was the only field goal either team would hit in the final four minutes, until Willoughby hit her fourth triple with 2.3 seconds left.
 
Wingate outrebounded Anderson 44-41. Williams added six boards to her worksheet. Simpson had 11 rebounds to top the AU charts. The Bulldogs outscored the Trojans 28-12 on points in the paint. In addition, Wingate turned 17 Anderson turnovers into 21 points. Williams had four steals to lead the Bulldogs, while Neely recorded three thefts.
 
The Bulldogs shot 36.4 percent from the floor (20-of-55), while the Trojans hit 30.6 percent (19-of-62). Anderson converted 37.5 percent of its three-point field attempts (nine-of-24); Wingate made 15.4 percent of its triples (two-of-13). The Bulldogs went to the charity stripe 41 times, making 28 (68.3 percent). The Trojans hit 12-of-16 free throws (75 percent).