Greenville, S.C.----The number two seed Wingate University women's basketball team (23-5 overall) plays number one seed Lenoir-Rhyne University (24-5 overall) in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament championship game Sunday afternoon in Furman University's Timmons Arena. The Bulldogs and the number 24 Bears will tip-off at 4 p.m. Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne split the 2013-14 regular season meetings with both teams earning 10-point home court victories.
 
On Nov. 26, Wingate senior forward Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) had 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one steal in 22 minutes, leading the Bulldogs to a 61-51 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Three Bulldogs had double-digit points, while sophomore forward Sharee Boyd (Charlotte, N.C.) pulled down a game-high (and career-high) 10 rebounds to go with her nine markers.
 
Harris was six-for-eight from the floor, scoring 13 of her 14 points after halftime as the Bulldogs shot 57.1 percent after intermission (12-of-21). Boyd had three assists and two blocked shots to go with her (almost) double-double. Wingate senior guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) had 13 points and six rebounds, while sophomore forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) contributed 10 points and five boards.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne junior guard Jenni Gust (Colfax, Wis.) led all scorers with 17 points. She hit seven-of-15 from the floor and pulled down seven rebounds. Classmate and SAC Player of the Year Jazmine Charles (Lexington, N.C.) had 10 points, eight rebounds and five steals, while freshman forward Morgan Cooper (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 10 points off the L-R bench.
 
On Jan. 8, Charles scored a game-high 23 points as the Bears rallied for a 71-61 triumph over Wingate in Shuford Gymnasium on the L-R campus. Sophomore guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) led the visiting Bulldogs with a Wingate career-high 19 points.
 
The host Bears placed four players in double figures. Charles surpassed the 20-point plateau for the fifth time on the season. L-R senior forward Nneka Awuruonye (Charlotte, N.C.) added 12 points, while Cooper and sophomore guard Jordan Hiatt (Mount Airy, N.C.) contributed 10 points each.
 
Neely hit eight-of-11 field goals en route to her career night. The N.C. Central transfer hit one-of-two baskets from behind the three-point line. Neely had two rebounds, two assists and two steals to fill out her statistics ledger. Williams had 14 points and a team-best nine rebounds in 39 minutes, while Harris added 11 points and eight boards.
 
In the SAC semi-finals, Wingate finished the game on a 20-4 run, taking a 70-59 victory over Anderson (S.C.) University in Timmons Arena Saturday night. Williams and Harris had 18 points each. Harris notched her SAC-best 15th double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds. Neely recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne survived Carson-Newman 75-74 in Saturday's early semi-final. Charles led the Bears with a game-high 21 points. Gust had 15 markers, while senior guard Brittany Christian (Raleigh, N.C.) contributed 10 points. The C-N Eagles missed a pair of free throws with 48 seconds left and a jump shot with time expiring as the Bears held on for the win.
 
Harris leads Wingate in scoring (17.1), rebounding (9.5), field goal percentage (49.7) and double-doubles (15). She is the only Bulldog to start 28 of 28 games. Her 23-point effort in Wingate's 78-52 quarter-final victory over Newberry Wednesday was her ninth time scoring 20 or more points this season. Wingate is 8-1 overall when Harris hits 20-plus points. Eight of her nine 20-point (or more) efforts have been against SAC competition.
 
Williams averages 15.6 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. She has four double-doubles this year, leading Wingate to a victory in three of the four contests. She has tallied 20 or more points five times. Wingate is 4-1 overall when Williams hits 20-plus points. Either Williams or Harris (or both) have been Wingate's leading scorer in 25 of the team's 28 games this season.
 
Neely averages 7.9 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists per game. Neely is third in the SAC with her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. McGee and freshman guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) contribute 7.7 and 7.5 points per game, respectively. Tricoli's 29 three-point field goals are second on the Bulldog charts to Williams' 39 triples.
 
Charles leads the Bears with 17.6 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. Gust is next on the Bear scoring list with 12.7 points per game. Awuruonye is the team's second-leading rebounder with her 5.9 rebounds per game. She is one of five L-R Bears who average between 5.0 points and 6.3 points per game.
 
THIS AND THAT: Wingate has won 11 SAC regular season crowns and six Food Lion SAC tournament championships. The Bulldogs shared the 2014 SAC regular season championship with the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears. L-R won the Food Lion SAC tournament in 2003 and 2009.
 
Three conference tournament champions receive automatic qualifications to the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament March 14-17. Limestone of the Conference Carolinas punched its ticket Saturday, defeating Mount Olive 61-41 in Concord, N.C. Columbus State plays Georgia College in the Peach Belt Conference final Sunday in Columbus, Ga. The L-R versus Wingate victor will also receive an NCAA AQ.
 
The Wednesday, March 5 NCAA Division II Southeast Region top 10 includes (in order): Lenoir-Rhyne, Clayton State, Wingate, North Georgia, Columbus State, Belmont Abbey, Armstrong Atlantic State, Limestone, Lincoln Memorial and Georgia College. Eight teams (three conference champions, five at-large) make the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament. The NCAA Division II Elite Eight is slated for March 25-28 in Erie, Pa.
 
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.