Newberry, S.C.----Wingate University senior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) and junior guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) combined for 43 points and 10 rebounds, leading the number 23 Bulldogs to a 68-59 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball victory over Newberry College Wednesday evening in Eleazer Arena. The Bulldogs scored the first 10 points of the second half to take a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Miscenko had 24 points and five boards, while Averette added 19 points and five rebounds. WU junior forward Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) contributed 10 points and five rebounds. For Newberry, junior guard Shelby Britten (Shepparton, Victoria, Australia) had 25 points. Wolves junior center Meg Essex (Glamorgan Vale, Queensland, Australia) added 10 points and a team-high (tying) eight rebounds.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: #23 Wingate 68, Newberry 59
Records: #23 Wingate 16-3 overall (10-2 SAC), Newberry 10-9 overall (5-7 SAC)
Location: Eleazer Arena, Newberry, S.C.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
-Averette, Miscenko and Witherspoon had a team-best five rebounds each to give Wingate a slim 34-33 rebounding edge. Newberry senior post Hannah Lepaio (Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia) equaled teammate Essex with eight rebounds of her own.
-Newberry (57.1 percent) and Wingate (54.5 percent) both had hot shooting first quarters.
-Neither team matched this shooting success the rest of the way. The Wolves made only two-of-10 field goals (20 percent) in the pivotal third quarter.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Newberry took an 18-15 lead after the first 10 minutes, as the first quarter featured eight lead changes. The Wolves took their biggest lead with 51 seconds left when Essex hit a lay-up to make the score 16-12 Newberry. Britten led the hosts with eight points, while Averette topped the Bulldog charts with seven points. Both Britten and Averette played 10 minutes each.
 
Second quarter
 
The Wolves started the frame on a 12-5 run, taking a 30-20 lead on a Lepaio lay-up with 3:37 remaining. The Bulldogs scored nine points in a row as part of a 12-3 half-concluding run to go to break down 33-32. Averette scored Wingate's last five points to cut the deficit to one on a three-point field goal with 31 seconds left.
 
Third quarter
 
Wingate started the third quarter on a 10-0, taking a 42-33 lead on a Miscenko jumper at the 6:15 mark. Miscenko had six of the 10 points, while junior guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) started the third quarter with the other four markers. Miscenko scored nine points in a row by herself, making the score 45-38 Bulldogs when she hit one free throw at the 2:40 plateau.
 
Newberry did not score a field goal until the 3:32 mark, ending a 7:19 field drought spanning the second and third quarters. A lay-up by Bulldog senior guard Taziya Moody (Columbia, S.C.) put the visitors up 51-41 with 18 seconds left. Britten made two free throws to cut the Newberry deficit to eight with 4.6 seconds left, finishing the third quarter scoring.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
Two free throws by Averette made the score 64-49 with 4:53 to play. The 15-point cushion was Wingate's largest lead of the night. Newberry cut the deficit to 66-59 on a three-point field goal by junior forward Courtney Lyons (Park Orchards, Victoria, Australia) with 71 seconds left, but the hosts would get no closer. The Bulldogs made 11-of-17 free throws in the final quarter.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Robinson and Miscenko put Wingate on their shoulders at the start of the third quarter, putting together a 10-0 to give the visitors the lead for good.
 
NOTABLES
 
-Averette has hit 34 consecutive free throws, dating to her last miss in the fourth quarter against Newberry on Nov. 29 at Wingate.
-Averette hit six-of-10 field goals Wednesday. She hit six-of-10 field goals in the first meeting between the two teams, a 53-48 Wingate victory.
-The Bulldogs have 2017-18 series sweeps against two teams (Newberry and Mars Hill) following tonight's contest.
-Witherspoon has 908 career points entering Wingate's home game versus Catawba Jan. 31.
 
QUOTABLES
 
Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock: "Newberry is always a challenging place to play, even when it's not the third road game in five days. We were in a tough fight. I'm pleased with the way we came out in the second half. Our rebounding effort was much better as was our aggressiveness to the basket. Getting them in foul trouble made a difference. Caroline had a great shooting night and Danasia did a good job of getting to the free throw line. Taz came in and made some big plays to give us a spark. Marta came alive in the second half with 19 points."
 
ON THE HORIZON

Wingate is off Saturday, as the SAC's 11-team alignment gives each team a bye. The Bulldogs return home Wednesday, Jan. 31 when they host at Catawba. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. Newberry visits Mars Hill Saturday at 2 p.m.