Newberry, S.C.----The Newberry College women's basketball rallied from a 17-point third quarter deficit to take a 62-61 South Atlantic Conference triumph over Wingate University Wednesday night in Eleazer Arena. Newberry sophomore guard Nicola Handreck (Heywood, Vic, Australia) and senior guard/forward Samantha Creed (Montmorency, Vic, Australia) combined for 34 points to lead the host Wolves.
 
Handreck led all scorers with 18 points, hitting five-of-10 three-point field goals. She filled up her statistics ledger with six rebounds, five assists and one blocked shot. Creed had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals.
 
For visiting Wingate, freshman guard Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) had 15 points, five rebounds and three steals. Bulldog senior forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) and sophomore guard Taziya Moody (Columbia, S.C.) had 11 points each. Moody's 11 markers is a Wingate career-high point total for the Caldwell Community College transfer.
 
A traditional three-point play by Witherspoon gave Wingate a 28-11 lead with 7:25 left in the second quarter. The 17-point bulge was the Bulldogs' largest lead of the night. A Handreck triple but the Newberry deficit to 32-23 with 44 seconds left in the half. Wingate senior center Alysia Hudson (Jacksonville, N.C.) answered with an inside bucket (0:23) to give the Bulldogs a 34-23 advantage at intermission.
 
Witherspoon had nine points at the break as the Bulldogs hit 48.5 percent of their first half field goals (16-of-33). Hudson and Moody had eight points and six points, respectively. Creed (five points) and Handreck (four points) led the Wolves in the first half. Newberry shot only 36.4 percent in the first 20 minutes (eight-of-22).
 
Wingate junior forward Kristina Rumplasch (Mount Airy, N.C.) hit a triple on an assist from freshman guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) to push the visitors' lead back to 17 points with 6:32 left in the third quarter. Rumplasch's bucket made the score 42-25 Wingate.
 
Newberry responded with a 13-2 run (capped by a Handreck triple) to make the score 44-38 Bulldogs with exactly three minutes left in the third frame. Two Handreck free throws (1:50) cut the Wolves' deficit to 47-43. One minute later, McGee posted an old-fashioned three-point play to give Wingate a seven-point edge. Creed's jumper (0:38) made the score 50-45 Wingate at the end of the period.
 
Witherspoon traded two baskets with Newberry freshman center Meg Essex (Glamorgan Vale, Qld, Australia) to start the fourth frame. Witherspoon's second hoop made the score 54-49 Bulldogs with 7:06 remaining in regulation. Newberry tallied seven unanswered points to take the lead for good.
 
Handreck's triple with 4:44 left gave the hosts a 56-54 edge. Wingate's Robinson tied the contest for the second (and final) time with a fast break lay-up at the 3:13 mark. Creed and senior guard Colleen Leung (James Island, S.C.) answered with inside hoops to make the score 60-56 Newberry with 2:17 to go.
 
Moody's lay-up (1:58) and Robinson's one free throw (1:22) pulled the visitors within one point at 60-59. Creed converted an inside bucket on a Handreck dish 10 seconds later to give the hosts a three-point advantage.
 
Robinson's jumper with 49 seconds left concluded the night's scoring. Newberry committed a turnover with 20 seconds to play, giving Wingate a final chance. The Bulldogs missed two shots in the waning moments before a WU turnover and a Creed steal sealed the deal for the Wolves.
 
Newberry shot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) after intermission to finish the night hitting 46.2 percent from the floor (24-of-52). The Bulldogs shot 42.9 percent Wednesday (27-of-63), but only 36.7 percent in the second half (11-of-30). The Wolves hit seven three-point field goals, compared to only two triples for the Bulldogs.
 
Wingate outscored Newberry 42-20 in the paint. The Bulldogs converted 19 Newberry turnovers into 20 points. The Wolves scored 15 points on 13 Wingate miscues. The Bulldog bench outscored the Newberry substitutes 24-14.
 
The Wolves blocked nine shots. The Bulldogs outrebounded their hosts by a slim 34-32 margin. McGee led the visitors with six boards. Handreck and Essex led Newberry with six rebounds each. Wingate had 11 steals with Witherspoon and redshirt junior guard Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) posting three thefts each.
 
Wingate returns to Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court for a two-games-in-three-days home stand. The Bulldogs host Lincoln Memorial Saturday (2 p.m.) and Mars Hill Monday (6 p.m.). The Wingate-Mars Hill contest is a weather-related make-up game from Jan. 23. Newberry hosts Mars Hill Saturday at 2 p.m.