Mars Hill, N.C.----The Wingate University women's basketball team took a 32-point halftime lead and never looked back, gaining a 102-42 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball triumph over Mars Hill University Saturday afternoon in Stanford Arena on the MHU campus. Four student-athletes hit double-digit points for the visiting WU Bulldogs.
 
Wingate junior forward Zasha Barrett (Monroe, N.C.) posted her first career double-double with career-high totals of 22 points and 10 rebounds (both game-highs). Bulldog freshman guard Morgan Simmons (Buford, Ga.) also hit a career-high with her 18 points. Mars Hill freshman guard Gabby Gianikos (Charlotte, N.C.) led the host Lions with 12 points.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: Wingate 102, Mars Hill 42
Records: Wingate 14-3 overall (8-2 SAC), Mars Hill 1-18 overall (0-11 SAC)
Location: Stanford Arena, Mars Hill, N.C.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
-Bulldog senior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) had 14 points and six rebounds, while junior guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) added 10 points and six rebounds of her own.
-Mars Hill redshirt junior guard Mariah Johnson (Statesville, N.C.) had 10 points.
-Wingate dished out 32 assists on 36 made baskets.
-The Bulldogs hit a season-high 11 three-point field goals (in 21 tries). Wingate's previous best was nine made three-pointers against Mars Hill on Dec. 2, 2017.
-Simmons made six-of-10 triples Saturday.
-Wingate hit 55.4 percent of its field goals (36-of-65), its second-best shooting performance of the season. The Bulldogs hit a season-best 62.3 percent (33-of-53) at Queens Jan. 3, 2018.
-Twelve Wingate student-athletes saw action Saturday and all 12 found the scoring column.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Miscenko gave the visitors the lead for good when she hit two free throws two minutes into the contest to make the score 4-2 Bulldogs. Wingate led by double-figure points two minutes later. Barrett hit a jumper with 19 seconds left to give the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad Bulldogs a 15-point edge at 27-12. Wingate led 27-14 after the first 10 minutes. Miscenko led the WU charge with 10 points.
 
Second quarter
 
Barrett hit an old-fashioned three-point play to put Wingate up 34-14 with 7:16 to play. Simmons nailed a three-point field goal to give the Bulldogs a 54-20 lead with 18 seconds left in the quarter. The 34-point bulge was Wingate's biggest first-half advantage. Simmons had nine second-quarter points for the victors.
 
Third quarter
 
A lay-up by junior guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) made the score 65-24 Bulldogs at the six-minute mark. Two free throws by Barrett gave Wingate an 80-29 lead with 38 seconds left. The Bulldogs led 81-29 after 30 minutes of play. Barrett had a team-best seven points in the third frame.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
Wingate's biggest lead was 102-40 when freshman forward Teliyah Jeter (Greenville, S.C.) hit a lay-up with 1:49 remaining in the contest. The Bulldog bench scored all 21 of the team's fourth-quarter points.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Wingate made 20-of-33 field goals in the first half (60.6 percent).
 
NOTABLES
 
-Wingate's last game over the 100-point barrier also occurred in Stanford Arena when the Bulldogs claimed a 106-103 double overtime victory over the MHU Lions on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015. Wingate guard Shelby Tricoli ('17, Waynesville, N.C.) led the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad visitors with 25 points.
-Wingate swept the five specialty statistics categories Saturday. The Bulldogs' bench outscored the Lions' substitutes 67-8.
-Wingate spread out the playing time Saturday, as Simmons and junior guard Taylor Helms (Monroe, N.C.) played a team-high 23 minutes each.
 
QUOTABLES
 
Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock: "Every road win is important in this league. You can't take any one for granted. It was nice to get our bench extended minutes and game experience. Zasha and Morgan came in and  made solid contributions. I was pleased at our execution on both ends of the floor."
 
ON THE HORIZON


Wingate continues its three-game road trip Monday, visiting Coker for a 6 p.m. make-up game. Mars Hill hosts nationally-ranked Carson-Newman Wednesday at 6 p.m.