Harrogate, Tenn.----Junior forward
Kristina Rumplasch (Mount Airy, N.C.) scored a Bulldog career-high 18 points (in 17 minutes) to lead Wingate University to a 78-67 South Atlantic Conference triumph over Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday night in Tex Turner Arena. The Cape Fear Community College transfer hit eight-of-11 field goals Wednesday, draining two-of-two from downtown.
With the league victory, Wingate improves to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the SAC. The LMU Railsplitters fall to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the SAC. The WU Bulldogs visit Brevard Saturday for a 2 p.m. SAC contest. Lincoln Memorial travel to Newberry the same day for a 2 p.m. league encounter.
Rumplasch led four Bulldogs in double figures. Wingate junior guard
Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) had 15 points. Senior forward
Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) and freshman point guard
Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) added 11 points and 10 points, respectively. McGee and Robinson posted seven rebounds each as Wingate outrebounded LMU 44-31.
Lincoln Memorial junior guard/forward
Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) posted a double-double with team-best totals of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard
Britney Guy (Locust Grove, Ga.) had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds.
"Tonight was an outstanding win for the program," Wingate head women's basketball coach
Ann Hancock says. "LMU is a very good team. Our effort on the glass was the difference in the game. They were leading the league in offensive rebounding, so we knew that would be a key to the game."
Wingate swept the five major specialty statistical categories, including a 33-25 advantage in bench points. "Our bench was a big factor tonight," Hancock says. "Several players came in and contributed. Kristina was the spark that ignited us. Morgan's defense was huge on their posts."
Four Wingate reserves found the scoring column Wednesday. Bulldog sophomore center
Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) had seven points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Redshirt junior guard
Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) posted six points and four assists in her first action since Nov. 15, 2014. Wingate freshman forward
Zasha Barrett (Monroe, N.C.) contributed two points.
Fittingly, Rumplasch gave Wingate the lead for good when she hit a lay-up (from a Neely assist) with 4:41 left in the first quarter. The inside hoop put the Bulldogs up 6-5. Wingate concluded the opening frame with a 12-1 run to take a 16-6 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The visitors led 34-24 at intermission, thanks to 13 first-half markers by Rumplasch. Guy had 11 first-half points for the hosts.
The host Railsplitters could not cut the deficit below double digits in the second half. Rumplasch gave the visitors their biggest lead (54-33) when she hit a three-point field goal with 3:31 to go in the third quarter. Wingate led 54-40 entering the fourth frame.
The Bulldogs shot 42.9 percent from the floor (30-of-70) and 57.1 percent from three-point land (four-of-seven). Wingate had 44 points in the paint, compared to 22 for the taller LMU Railsplitters. LMU made 53.8 percent of its second half field goals tries (14-of-26) to finish the evening with a 43.1 field goal percentage (22-of-51).
