Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior guard Shelby Tricoli (Waynesville, N.C.) posted 18 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 68-58 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball tournament first-round victory over Catawba College Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. Tricoli hit four-of-eight three-pointers, adding four rebounds and three assists to her statistical ledger.

With its ninth consecutive victory, Wingate improves to 19-8 overall. Catawba concludes the 2015-16 season 15-14 overall. The number three seed Bulldogs will play the number two seed Newberry Wolves (17-12 overall) Saturday in Greenville, S.C. Tip-off at Furman University's Timmons Arena is slated for 2:30 p.m.
 
"Today was a big win for us," Wingate head coach Ann Hancock says. "We didn't play our best, but we were still able to win. I thought we did a nice job defensively on (Catawba junior guard) Bri Johnson (Statesville, N.C.) and on the boards. It seems like a different player steps up each game. Shelby and (redshirt junior guard) Amber Neely (Charlotte, N.C.) were big from behind the line. (Freshman guard) Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) made some big plays down the stretch."
 
Neely had a big night with 11 points and team-best totals of six rebounds and five assists. She added two steals and one blocked shot in 28 minutes. Both WU senior forward Morgan McGee (Durham, N.C.) and freshman guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) had nine points each.

For Catawba, junior forward Jada Huntley (Indian Trail, N.C.) had 17 points and eight rebounds. Huntley hit three-of-five three-point field goals on the way to her team-high point total. Sophomore center Terri Rogers (Burlington, N.C.) added 12 points and six boards. Wingate held Johnson to six points, 10 points below her season average.

Wingate led wire-to-wire Wednesday. The Bulldogs led 33-23 at intermission, thanks to eight first-half points each from Neely and Tricoli. Rogers and senior guard Emma Ucinski (Atlanta, Ga.) had six points each for the visiting Indians. Neely, Tricoli and Ucinski hit two three-point field goals each in the first half. The Bulldogs hit 50 percent from the floor (12-of-24) and 55.6 percent from downtown (five-of-nine) in the opening 20 minutes.

A three-point field goal by Huntley cut the Catawba deficit to 43-40 with two minutes left in the third quarter. Tricoli and Indian senior center Khadijah Brown (Warrenton, N.C.) traded hoops to end the third frame, making the score 45-42 Wingate entering the fourth quarter.

Tricoli hit a three-pointer (9:31) and Averette added a jumper (8:54) to boost Wingate's margin to 50-42. Huntley's final three-point field goal of the evening cut the Catawba deficit to 56-52 with 4:49 remaining in the contest, but the Indians would get no closer down the stretch. The Bulldogs built the margin to 12 points in the waning moments.

Wingate outrebounded Catawba 41-29, as Neely and freshman guard Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) led the way with six boards each. Thanks to Tricoli's 18 markers, Wingate's bench outscored Catawba's substitutes 34-8. Junior forward Kristina Rumplasch (Mount Airy, N.C.) had eight points off the Bulldog bench, while Averette and sophomore center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) had four points each.