Wingate, N.C.----Lenoir-Rhyne University senior guard Jazmine Charles (Lexington, N.C.) tallied 33 points as the number seven seed Bears claimed an 80-69 South Atlantic Conference tournament first-round victory over host Wingate University Wednesday in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Bulldog graduate student forward Chantal Dunbar (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the hosts with 20 points and 14 rebounds, her 26th career double-double.
 
Four L-R student-athletes hit double-digit points as the Bears (12-15 overall) advance to Saturday's semi-finals against number three seed Newberry. Wingate (21-9 overall) will wait for potential news on an NCAA Division II national tournament bid Sunday night.
 
Charles and L-R sophomore forward Brooke Robinson (Vale, N.C.) joined Dunbar in the double-double club. Charles added 10 rebounds to her second consecutive 30-plus point performance. She netted 32 points in Saturday's 82-76 win over Mars Hill. Robinson had 12 points and 10 rebounds, hitting five-of-seven field goal attempts.
 
Bear senior guard/forward Jenni Gust (Colfax, Wis.) had 14 points on the strength of seven-of-10 shooting from the field. Sophomore forward Morgan Cooper (Virginia Beach, Va.) rounded out the L-R double-digit scorers with 12 markers. Cooper filled out her stat sheet with four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
Wingate graduate student forward Andrea Bertrand (Midlothian, Va.) narrowly missed a double-double of her own, posting 14 points and nine rebounds. Dunbar and Bertrand combined to shoot 13-of-28 from the floor (46.4 percent). Their eight teammates who participated Wednesday totaled 15 made baskets in 40 tries (37.5 percent). The Bulldogs outrebounded the Bears 42-32, turning 21 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne led 36-30 at intermission, thanks to 10 points from Gust, nine points from Charles and eight points from Robinson. Dunbar led the 'Dogs with nine points and four rebounds. Dunbar took a pass from Bertrand and converted a short jumper, cutting the Wingate deficit to 38-35 with 17:11 remaining in the contest.
 
The Bulldogs would get no closer, as the Charles scored 24 second-half points. The first team All-SAC performer hit five-of-five triples in the second stanza, including a three on a Gust dish to give the Bears their first double-digit lead at 60-48 with 7:26 left.
 
Wingate trimmed the deficit to 63-56 on an old-fashioned three-point play by senior point guard Jasmine DeBerry (Charlotte, N.C.) with 5:10 to go. Lenoir-Rhyne responded with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to seal the deal. Charles finished the spurt with a lay-up (3:05) to make the score 71-56 Bears and give the visitors their biggest lead of the evening.
 
The Bears turned 15 Bulldog turnovers into 19 points. Wingate scored only eight points from 12 L-R mistakes. The Bulldogs outscored the Bears in points in the paint (50-30), second-chance points (20-8) and bench points (17-3).