Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) and sophomore guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) netted 15 points each, leading the Bulldogs to a 58-42 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball victory over Lenoir-Rhyne University in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Miscenko posted her third double-double of the young season with her 15 points and game-high 10 rebounds.
 
The contest was the home opener for the defending SAC tournament champion WU Bulldogs (3-1 overall, 2-0 SAC). Wingate steps out of the league fray Sunday, visiting Southeast Region rival UNC Pembroke for a 1:30 p.m. tip. The LRU Bears (1-1 overall, 0-1 SAC) will travel to Puerto Rico later this week to play two games in San Juan. Lenoir-Rhyne faces P.R. Bayamon Friday at 12 noon.
 
"Today was a great way to get our Thanksgiving holiday started," Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock says. "I thought we did a good job of taking their punch and responding positively. We did a nice job of keeping them off the free throw line and getting to the line and converting. It was great to have graduate student guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) healthy."
 
Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore forward Madi Suddreth (Taylorsville, N.C.) led the visiting Bears with 10 points. Senior center Chelsey Romero (Hampton, Va.) flirted with a double-double of her own, contributing eight points and a team-high six rebounds to the LRU cause. Classmate Alecia Bell (Newport News, Va.) matched Romero with eight points of her own. Lenoir-Rhyne tried 14 three-point field goals Tuesday, converting zero.
 
Wingate never trailed, using a 17-4 third quarter to turn a 28-25 halftime edge into a 45-29 margin. The Bulldogs shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the fateful third frame (six-of-11), while the Bears managed only 14.3 percent field goal accuracy (two-of-14). Averette hit a three-pointer on an assist from senior guard Alex Tomlinson (Raleigh, N.C.) to push Wingate's lead to 48-29 with 9:49 to play in the fourth quarter. Averette made three-of-five triples Tuesday.
 
The aforementioned 19-point bulge was Wingate's largest lead of the evening. The Bears didn't fold the tents, cutting the deficit to 54-42 on a hoop by senior forward Morgan Cooper (Virginia Beach, Va.) with 2:19 remaining in the contest. Both teams shot 35 percent in the final stanza (Wingate 35.7 percent, Lenoir-Rhyne 35.3 percent) as each club posted 13 markers on the scoreboard.
 
Averette led the Bulldogs to their 28-25 halftime lead with a team-best seven points. Senior forward Kristina Rumplasch (Mount Airy, N.C.) added six points. Romero had eight points for the LRU Bears, while Bell contributed five points. Wingate led 17-7 after the first 10 minutes, as Lenoir-Rhyne hit only 21.4 percent of its first quarter field goal tries (three-of-14). The Bulldogs converted 41.2 percent of their first-frame shots (seven-of-17).
 
Wingate outscored Lenoir-Rhyne 36-28 in the paint. Both teams had 15 turnovers, but the Bulldogs were more opportunistic by scoring 16 points from the LRU miscues. On the opposite end, the Bears managed only four points on Wingate's mistakes. The Bulldogs edged the Bears 19-18 in second chance points and 17-14 in bench points.
 
Eleven Bulldogs played and 10 found the scoring column. Rumplasch and sophomore guard/forward Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) had six points each. Witherspoon filled up her stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. She topped the Bulldog charts in assists and steals.