Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team outscored Tusculum College 52-26 on points in the paint as the Bulldogs claimed an 83-69 South Atlantic Conference triumph over the visiting Pioneers Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court. Wingate junior forward Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) and senior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) combined for 37 points and 19 rebounds for the hosts.
 
Wingate junior guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) added 15 points. Tusculum junior guard Sydney Wilson (Greensboro, N.C.) led all scorers with 26 points. The Northern Guilford High School product hit six three-point field goals (in 11 tries). Wilson hit eight-of-15 field goals Saturday.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: #14 Wingate 83, Tusculum 69
Records: #14 Wingate 9-1 overall (4-0 SAC), Tusculum 8-3 overall (3-2 SAC)
Location: Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court, Wingate, N.C.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
-Miscenko led the Bulldogs with 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting. She added nine boards.
-Witherspoon had her third double-double of the season (and first 2017-18 double-double against a SAC opponent) with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a game-high 37 minutes played. The Hickory High graduate hit seven-of-10 field goals on the afternoon.
-Tusculum sophomore guard Mia Long and junior forward Kasey Johnson had 13 and 11 points, respectively. The other seven Pioneers who saw action combined for 19 points.
-In their first Saturday home game since shooting 54.7 percent against Mars Hill Dec. 2, the WU Bulldogs hit 54.4 percent from the floor (31-of-57). The output is Wingate's second-best shooting night/day of the season.
-The TC Pioneers had 19 turnovers in the first half which the Bulldogs converted into 18 points.
-The Bulldogs hit a SAC season-best 82.6 percent from the foul line (19-of-23) Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Wingate led 22-9 after the first 10 minutes, as Tusculum shot 30 percent from the floor (three-of-10) and committed 14 turnovers in the first quarter. The opportunistic Bulldogs converted the 14 Pioneer miscues into 12 points. Wingate senior guard Taziya Moody (Columbia, S.C.) hit six-of-six free throws in the opening frame, including two with 78 seconds left to make the score 22-9. Miscenko led the Bulldogs with eight first-quarter points.
 
Second quarter
 
Wingate hit eight-of-13 field goals for 61.5 percent. The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 41-21 on two Averette free throws with 1:28 left in the second stanza. The 20-point bulge was Wingate's largest of the first 20 minutes. Tusculum finished the second quarter on a 7-2 flurry as Johnson had five points in the last 55 seconds, including her only Saturday three-pointer. A jumper by TC junior forward Yolizma Cupidan with nine seconds to go made the score 43-28 Wingate at intermission. Averette and Johnson led their respective teams with seven second-quarter points each.
 
Third quarter
 
Both teams posted their best shooting quarters of the afternoon. Wingate hit 10-of-15 field goals for 66.7 percent, while Tusculum made 10-of-16 tries for 62.5 percent. The hot-shooting Pioneers were not able to get any closer than 13 points in the third frame (five occasions).
 
Wilson hit three-of-four field goals and two-of-three long distance shots for eight third-quarter points. Wingate's Witherspoon matched the Tusculum sharp-shooter with eight points of her own. The Bulldogs led 70-54 after three quarters.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
The Pioneers kept pushing, cutting the deficit to 78-69 on Wilson's sixth (and final) three-point field goal with 3:22 remaining. The nine-point margin was as close as Tusculum as the Tennessee visitors would not score again. Bulldog junior center Zasha Barrett (Monroe, N.C.) hit a jumper on the next trip down the floor. WU junior guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) converted an old-fashioned three-point play at the 1:56 mark to finish out Saturday's scoring.
 
TURNING POINTS
 
Wingate's solid first quarter set the tone for the afternoon. The Bulldogs shot 60-plus percent in the middle two quarters to build a big lead they would not relinquish.
 
NOTABLES
 
-Wingate was very unselfish, as Averette, Witherspoon and Miscenko had four assists each. The Bulldogs posted 19 helpers Saturday, compared to 10 assists for the TC Pioneers.
-The Bulldogs outrebounded their visitors 33-31. Barrett and Moody supported Witherspoon and Miscenko with four rebounds each.
-Tusculum had 15 second-chance points, thanks to 13 offensive rebounds. Wingate managed only 10 second-chance points (eight offensive boards).
-The Pioneers had 15 fast-break points, compared to only four for the Bulldogs.
-The two teams scored 20 points each off turnovers. Wingate's bench outscored Tusculum's reserves 17-11.

QUOTABLES
 
Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock: "It seems every game keeps getting tougher and tougher. Tusculum is a very good team. They make you work on every single possession. We are pleased to have taken care of business at home. Marta, Danasia and Caroline were consistent and steady. Taziya and Zasha came in and played some crucial minutes. (Senior guard) Taylor Helms (Monroe, N.C.) did a nice job defending Tusculum's point guard. Today, winning the boards was big…as well as getting to the foul line and converting."
 
ON THE HORIZON

Both teams will have a quick turn-around with Tuesday games on the agenda. Wingate will visit Catawba for a 2 p.m. contest in Goodman Gymnasium Tuesday. The Catawba encounter begins a four-game road swing for the Bulldogs, as the team's next home game is Jan. 10 against Lenoir-Rhyne. The Tusculum Pioneers will hit the road again Tuesday, traveling to UNC Greensboro to face the NCAA Division I Spartans at 11 a.m.