Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University bench outscored the Lenoir-Rhyne reserves 26-4, boosting the Bulldogs to a 71-54 South Atlantic Conference victory over the L-R Bears Wednesday in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Wingate senior guard Kelli Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C.) had 15 points, while graduate student forward Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) posted her 17th career double-double with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  
 
With its fourth straight victory, Wingate improves to 8-6 overall and 6-1 in the SAC. Lenoir-Rhyne slips to 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the SAC. L-R senior guard/forward Jenni Gust (Colfax, Wis.) led all scorers with 16 points. Senior guard Jazmine Charles (Lexington, N.C.) and junior guard Jordan Hiatt (Mount Airy, N.C.) had 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the visitors.

Seven Wingate players scored six or more points. WU redshirt senior guard Brittany Hill (Mechanicsville, Va.) and junior center Alysia Hudson (Jacksonville, N.C.) had nine points each, while graduate student forward Andrea Bertrand (Midlothian, Va.) had eight points. Bulldog sophomore guard Alex Tomlinson (Raleigh, N.C.) contributed seven points and a team-best four assists, while junior forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) posted six markers.
 
"Tonight was a tremendous team effort," Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock says. "Kelli Bonner shot the ball extremely well in the first half and the post players stepped up in the second half. We shot the ball well and rebounded as well as we have all year."
 
"Brittany Hill did a terrific job (guarding) Jazmine Charles," Hancock says. "Brittany plays so hard defensively and relishes the assignment to stop the other team's best player." Charles entered the game averaging 16.4 points per game. She hit three-of-17 field goals Wednesday, including one-of-10 in the second half.
 
Bonner hit 12 points in the first half as Wingate built a 35-27 lead at intermission. A Bonner three-point field goal from a Dunbar assist gave Wingate a 28-14 lead with 7:35 left in the first frame. Lenoir-Rhyne cut the deficit to six when Charles hit a triple on a Hiatt helper to make the score 33-27 Wingate with two minutes remaining. A Tomlinson basket (1:42) completed the first half scoring.
 
Wingate built an 18-point lead in the second half, as the Bears could not get any closer than eight points in the stanza. A Dunbar jumper made the score 65-47 with 4:49 remaining in the contest. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent in the second half (12-of-24), while the Bears made only 37 percent after intermission (10-of-27).
 
The hosts had 38 points in the paint, compared to 28 points for their visitors from Hickory. Wingate turned 17 offensive rebounds into 15 second-chance points. Dunbar's seven offensive boards equaled Lenoir-Rhyne's leading rebounder, as Wingate won the battle of the boards 39-22. L-R sophomore guard/forward Morgan Cooper (Virginia Beach, Va.) topped the Bears' rebounding charts with seven (five offensive,  two defensive).
 
Wingate entertains Lincoln Memorial Saturday at 2 p.m., while Lenoir-Rhyne visits Tusculum Saturday at the same time. The Bulldogs are in the middle of a four home games in five dates stretch.