Women's Basketball | 12/6/2016 12:53:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior forward Kristina Rumplasch (Mount Airy, N.C.) tallied 11 points to lead the offensive attack as the Bulldogs claimed an 80-49 Future Bulldog Day triumph over the Cape Fear Community College Sea Devils in women's basketball action from Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court Tuesday.

WU junior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) and freshman forward Jordan Quick (High Point, N.C.) both finished tied for second on the Bulldog scoring charts with 10 points and seven rebounds each. Sophomore forward/guard Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) and sophomore guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) each posted nine points. Witherspoon also totaled five boards with four assists.

Cape Fear sophomore guard TaKwana Bland (Williamston, N.C.) led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 11-of-14 from the field. Bland also posted two rebounds and two assists. Sophomore guard/forward Destiny Campbell (Laurinburg, N.C.) ranked second on the Sea Devil scoring list with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Wingate never trailed in the contest with the Sea Devils getting no closer than five points in the first quarter of play. The Bulldogs sprinted out to the early 14-4 advantage on a converted lay-up from Rumplasch with 1:51 remaining in the opening stanza. The 'Dogs maintained the 16-6 lead at the break between quarters.

The Bulldogs maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second quarter with their largest lead coming with 6:47 on the clock at 24-6 on a two-point jumper from senior guard Alex Tomlinson (Raleigh, N.C.). The WU defense did not allow Cape Fear to eclipse the double-digit point plateau until the 4:59 mark of the second quarter with the score at 26-11.

The Sea Devils would not get closer than 12 points for the remainder of the stanza as the Bulldogs led by a commanding margin of 35-21 at the halftime intermission. Wingate sophomore guard Taziya Moody (Columbia, S.C.) nailed a lay-up with three seconds left on the clock to beat the halftime buzzer.

In the third quarter of play, the 'Dogs grabbed their first 20-point advantage of the contest with 5:48 remaining at 49-29. Cape Fear would trim the deficit down to 18 points at 51-33 with 2:55 to go, but Wingate extended the margin out to 25 points to gain its largest lead at 59-34 with 10 seconds on the clock.

Wingate maintained the 20-plus point advantage throughout the duration of the fourth quarter and jumped out to a 31-point lead at 74-43 with 3:26 remaining in the stanza. The Bulldogs soon extended the margin out to 80-45 for the biggest lead of the contest at 35 with 1:27 left in the contest. The hosts held on for the 31-point victory.

Wingate outrebounded Cape Fear 49-22 while also maintaining the 21-7 edge in the assist category. The Bulldogs outscored the Sea Devils 49-24 in the paint with a commanding 25-1 margin in second-chance buckets. The WU bench outscored the Sea Devil reserves 46-4. The hosts shot 43.6 percent from the field (31-of-71), compared to Cape Fear's 35 percent field goal percentage (16-of-45 shooting).

The Wingate University Bulldog women's basketball team is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 14 for a South Atlantic Conference home showdown versus the Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters. The LMU match-up will be the first of a four-game home stand for the Bulldogs. Tip-off is slated for a 6 p.m. start from Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Court.

(Wingate University athletic media relations/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A sophomore from Raleigh, Kaplan is a Communication Studies major at Wingate. He is the son of Harrison and Dona Kaplan.)