Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team built a 20-point lead and survived a furious Catawba College rally, posting a 62-47 South Atlantic Conference triumph Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. The Bulldogs avenge their only 2014-15 SAC loss to date to improve to 12-6 overall and 10-1 in the SAC. Wingate has won 10 consecutive SAC games and eight straight games overall. Catawba is 9-7 overall and 6-5 in the SAC.
 
Wingate graduate student post players Andrea Bertrand (Midlothian, Va.) and Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the way for the hosts. Bertrand had 17 points, while Dunbar recorded her 20th career double-double with 10 points and a game-high (tying) 13 rebounds. Nine Bulldog players participated Wednesday and nine found the scoring column.
 
Catawba sophomore forward Jada Huntley (Indian Trail, N.C.) led the visiting Indians with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Bri Johnson (Statesville, N.C.) had 10 points. Catawba senior guard/forward Chloe Bully (Hannut, Belgium) had two points in 39 minutes, hitting only one-of-10 from the floor. Bully entered the contest as Catawba's leading scorer with 13.9 points per game.

Wingate led 33-16 at halftime, as Catawba shot a frigid 17.1 percent (six-of-35) in the first 20 minutes. A three-point field goal by sophomore guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) gave the Bulldogs a 27-10 advantage with four minutes to play in the opening frame. The 17-point spread was Wingate's largest of the first half.

Bertrand had seven points in the first half, while Dunbar added six markers. Each of Wingate's nine participants had entered the scoring column by intermission. The Bulldogs shot 43.5 percent from the floor (13-of-30) in the first frame. Johnson had six of Catawba's 16 first-half markers.

An old-fashioned three-point play by McGee (16:36) gave Wingate its biggest lead of the evening at 38-18. Catawba responded with a 20-8 run to cut the deficit to 46-38 when junior guard Zhaquondalee Greer (Greensboro, N.C.) hit a baseline jumper with 8:32 remaining in regulation.

The two teams traded two baskets and two free throws each (after the Greer hoop), but Catawba could get no closer than eight points down the stretch. The Indians hit only one hoop in the last six-plus minutes, a three-point field goal by junior guard Janna Dixon (Advance, N.C.) with two minutes left. The Bulldogs outscored the Indians 12-5 in the final seven minutes.

Catawba tried 73 field goals, hitting 18 (24.7 percent). The Indians had 19 offensive rebounds, but could manage only six second-chance points. Wingate made 40 percent of its field goals Wednesday (20-of-50). Catawba held a slim 43-42 rebounding edge.

The two teams combined for 42 turnovers. Catawba scored 17 points off 24 Wingate miscues, while the Bulldogs posted 16 points from 18 Indian mistakes. The Catawba bench outscored the Wingate reserves 27-20, thanks to 16 points from Huntley and nine markers from Dixon.
 
Both teams hit the road Saturday. Wingate travels to Brevard, while the Catawba ventures to Lincoln Memorial. Both contests start at 2 p.m.