Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior center
Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) celebrated her team's first 2018 home game in style, exploding for a career-high 31 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 68-51 South Atlantic Conference victory over the Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears Wednesday evening in Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court.
The Bulldogs are undefeated at home this season with eight wins and no losses. Wingate junior forward
Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) added 14 points for the hosts. Lenoir-Rhyne junior guard
Kendall Toineeta (Cherokee, N.C.) led the Bears with 17 points and four assists.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Wingate 68, Lenoir-Rhyne 51
Records: Wingate 12-3 overall (6-2 SAC), Lenoir-Rhyne 8-9 overall (2-7 SAC)
Location: Cuddy Arena and Thomas Koontz Family Court, Wingate, N.C.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Miscenko led the Bulldogs with nine rebounds and five blocked shots as the hosts outdistanced their guests in both categories. Witherspoon added seven boards.
-LRU junior guard
Ashley Rodriguez (Orlando, Fla.) added 11 points for the Bears.
-The two teams combined for 44 turnovers (WU 23, LRU 21). Lenoir-Rhyne scored 18 points from Wingate's mistakes, while the Bulldogs posted 16 points from the Bears' miscues.
-Wingate outscored Lenoir-Rhyne 30-18 in the paint. The Bears' reserves outscored the Bulldogs' substitutes by a 20-6 margin.
-The Bulldogs shot better than the Bears in three-of-three categories: field goals (48.9-35.8), three-pointers (28.6-23.5) and free throws (75.9-56.3).
-The two teams endured 15 lead changes. The game was tied on nine occasions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The score was tied 12-12 after the first 10 minutes. Both teams struggled offensively, as Wingate shot 27.8 percent from the floor (five-of-18), while Lenoir-Rhyne hit 33.3 percent of its shots (four-of-12).
Second quarter
A three-point field goal by Rodriguez with 3:40 left gave the visitors a 23-21 lead. The Bears kept the advantage for the rest of the quarter, taking a 29-27 advantage to the halftime locker room. Rodriguez had 10 of her 11 points in the second quarter. Wingate made only four field goals in the frame (four-of-five).
Third quarter
Wingate junior guard
Taylor Helms (Monroe, N.C.) gave the Bulldogs the lead for good when she hit a three-point field goal with 1:19 remaining, thanks to an assist from classmate
Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.). The Helms' bucket made the score 44-43 Wingate. The Bulldogs led 48-43 after the end of three quarters. Both teams their best shooting quarter of the night, as Wingate hit 61.5 percent of its shots (eight-of-13). Lenoir-Rhyne made 54.5 percent of its third-quarter tries (six-of-11).
Fourth Quarter
A Witherspoon bucket gave Wingate a 54-44 lead two minutes into the last quarter. The Bears cut it to seven on a traditional three-point play by freshman center
Olivia Nunn (Lexington, N.C.) 30 seconds later, but the visitors would get no closer. The Bulldogs finished the game on a 14-4 run. Two free throws by Witherspoon with 93 seconds left gave Wingate a 67-48 edge, its largest of the evening. LRU shot 15.6 percent (two-of-13) in the last quarter of play.
TURNING POINT
Helms three-point field goal late in the 3rd gave the Bulldogs the lead and started a 9-0 run to put Wingate in front for good.
NOTABLES
-Wingate's last 30-point game was Nov. 22, 2014, when
Morgan McGee ('16) netted exactly 30 points in a 79-72 SAC road victory at Tusculum.
-The last time a Bulldog scored more than 31 points was Feb. 17, 2010, when
Kurie Washington ('12) poured in 32 points in a wild 101-100 overtime loss to Mars Hill at Wingate.
-Helms gave Wingate a boost off the bench with six points and a team-best five assists in 20 minutes of playing time.
ON THE HORIZON
Wingate will face a stiff test Saturday, hosting NCAA Division II number four Carson-Newman (16-0 overall, 8-0 SAC) comes to town for a 2 p.m. contest in Cuddy Arena. Lenoir-Rhyne does not play Saturday. The Bears visit Queens next Wednesday (Jan. 17) at 6 p.m.
