Jefferson City, Tenn.----University of North Georgia junior guard
Amber Skidgel (Bethlehem, Ga.) hit a three-point field goal as time expired, lifting the number 25 Nighthawks to a 78-75 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional semifinal victory over number 20 Wingate University Saturday evening in Holt Fieldhouse. UNG junior guard
Vanessa Agrusa (Franklin, N.C.) led all scorers with 20 points.
Skidgel and senior guard
Julie McKie (Smyrna, Ga.) had 17 points each for the Nighthawks. Four Wingate student-athletes hit double-figure points, led by senior center
Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) and her 17 markers. Junior forward
Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) and junior guard
Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) had 14 and 13 points, respectively.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: #25 North Georgia 78, #20 Wingate 75
Records: #25 North Georgia 29-4, #20 Wingate 26-6 overall
Location: Holt Fieldhouse, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, Tenn.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-WU junior guard
Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) had 10 points for the Bulldogs. She led the Bulldogs in assists (eight) and minutes played (38) Saturday evening.
-The contest was tied 11 times with 12 lead changes.
-Wingate outscored North Georgia 46-32 on points in the paint.
-The Nighthawks outrebounded the Bulldogs 32-26. Agrusa led UNG with eight rebounds, while Witherspoon topped the WU charts with eight boards.
-The North Georgia reserves had 28 points, compared with 12 points by the Wingate substitutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Miscenko gave Wingate an early 10-4 lead on a lay-up at the 6:45 mark. An Averette three-point field goal put the Bulldogs up 15-8 two minutes later. A jumper by junior guard
Taylor Helms (Monroe, N.C.) gave Wingate its largest lead of the quarter (19-11) with 1:41 left. The Bulldogs led 21-13 after the first 10 minutes.
Second quarter
A steal and lay-up by Robinson gave the Bulldogs a 25-15 lead one minute into the second stanza. The 10-point margin was Wingate's biggest lead of the evening. North Georgia rallied to tie the game 38-38 at intermission. Miscenko had 10 points to lead the Bulldogs in the first half, while McKie led the Nighthawks with nine points.
Third quarter
Wingate led most of the third quarter, boosting its margin to 51-46 on an old-fashioned three-point play by Miscenko with 5:35 to play. Skidgel tied the game 54-54 on a fast-break hoop with 46 seconds to go. A Miscenko inside bucket with six seconds left finished the third quarter scoring and gave the Bulldogs a 56-54 lead.
Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter was tightly contested with neither team leading by more than three points. North Georgia broke the fourth-quarter mold when they took a 75-71 lead with 29 seconds to play. Robinson made two free throws five seconds later to bring Wingate within a basket.
After North Georgia missed two free throws on the other end, Robinson made a lay-up with 17 seconds to play, tying the score 75-75 and setting the stage for Skidgel's heroics. The fourth quarter alone featured six tie scores and 10 lead changes.
TURNING POINT
North Georgia made five of its last seven field goal attempts. In addition, the Nighthawks had two blocked shots in the final 1:19.
NOTABLES
-North Georgia freshman guard
Abbie Franklin (Homer, Ga.) played 40 minutes, compiling seven points, six assists and three rebounds. She made only one turnover.
QUOTABLES
Wingate head women's basketball coach
Ann Hancock: "This is what March Madness is all about…we just happened to be on the wrong end of it. Our hats are off to North Georgia. They made big plays when they needed them. The last shot was huge, but they had a couple of big blocks down the stretch. I am very proud of the girls and our season. This is a special group. Each player helped in their own way whether at practice or in the game. We will hold our heads high knowing we gave it our best shot. North Georgia was just a bit better tonight."
ON THE HORIZON
Wingate concludes its 2017-18 season with a 26-6 overall record. North Georgia plays Carson-Newman for the Southeast Region title Monday night.
