Jefferson City, Tenn.----The number 20 Wingate University women's basketball team outscored Columbus State University 15-4 in overtime on the way to a 90-79 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional tournament first-round victory Friday afternoon in Holt Fieldhouse. Five student-athletes scored in double figures for the Bulldogs.
 
For Wingate, junior guard Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) equaled her career-high output with 23 points. Bulldog senior center Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) and junior guard Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) had 16 points each. Robinson had a game-high seven assists from her point guard position.
 
For the Peach Belt Conference member CSU Cougars, senior guard/forward Machala Raymonville (Rincon, Ga.) had a game-high 25 points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter. Sophomore guard Eboni Williams (Baltimore, Md.) and junior guard Tatiana Wayne (Lawrenceville, Ga.) had 13 points each.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: #20 Wingate 90, Columbus State 79
Records: #20 Wingate 26-5 overall, Columbus State 19-10 overall
Location: Holt Fieldhouse, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, Tenn.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
-WU junior forward Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) had 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while freshman guard Jasmine Stephen (Virginia Beach, Va.) had a career-high 13 points off the Bulldog bench.
-Columbus State tried 37 three-point field goals, making 11 (29.7 percent). The Cougars made five triples in the first half and six three-pointers in the second. The Bulldogs attempted three three-point field goals, making two.
-Wingate outscored Columbus State 44-20 on points in the paint.
-The Bulldogs outrebounded the Cougars 48-40. Miscenko had nine boards, while Averette pulled down eight caroms. Raymonville and freshman forward Chrisalyn Boston (Winston-Salem, N.C.) led the CSU Cougars with eight rebounds each.
-The contest featured 14 ties and 14 lead changes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter

A steal and lay-up by Robinson put Wingate up 17-12 with 3:23 to play in the opening frame. Columbus State responded with a 13-2 run to take a 25-19 lead on a three-point field goal by Raymonville with 17 seconds left. Miscenko converted an old-fashioned three-point play with three ticks remaining on the clock to complete the first quarter scoring.
 
Second quarter
 
A steal and lay-up by Columbus State sophomore guard Kaihla Carter (Birmingham, Ala.) gave the Cougars a 31-26 lead with seven minutes to go in the second stanza. The five-point margin was the biggest lead for either team in the second quarter. Averette made two free throws for Wingate with 12 seconds to go, giving the number two seeded Bulldogs a 43-41 advantage at halftime. Miscenko led the Bulldogs with 11 first-half points, while Raymonville had 12 markers for the Cougars.
 
Third quarter
 
A three-point field goal by Raymonville gave the Cougars a 55-48 lead with five minutes to play. The seven-point advantage was Columbus State's largest lead of the afternoon. Wingate answered with a 10-2 run to take a 58-57 lead on Stephen jumper with 50 seconds left. The Cougars led 62-60 entering the final quarter of play.
 
Fourth quarter
 
Averette made Wingate's first three-point field goal (9:48) to start the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs led for most of the frame. A Witherspoon jumper on a Miscenko assist made the score 72-67 Bulldogs with three minutes remaining. The Cougars made five-of-six free throws to tie the score 72-72 less than a minute later.
 
A Robinson jumper (1:45) and one Averette free throw (1:31) put Wingate up by three (75-72) with 90 seconds left in regulation. Columbus State made only one of its last 11 field goal attempts, but the one make was a big one: redshirt junior guard Sabria Cotton (Detroit, Mich.) drained a three-pointer with 21 seconds to go to tie the score 75-75 and send the game to overtime.
 
Overtime
 
Stephen scored the first six points of overtime to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. Her lay-up made the score 81-75 with 2:55 to play. Williams made a jumper on the other end to cut the Cougars' deficit to four (81-77) at the 2:38 mark. Columbus State would not make another field goal as Wingate pulled away. Averette made six-of-six free throws in the final 63 seconds to keep the Cougars at bay.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Wingate's defense was huge in the late stages of the contest, as the Bulldogs allowed the Cougars to make only two of their last 19 field goal attempts (10.5 percent).
 
NOTABLES
 
-Averette and Witherspoon played 43 minutes each. Robinson played 39 minutes. Wayne played a team-high 32 minutes for Columbus State.
 
QUOTABLES
 
Wingate head women's basketball coach Ann Hancock: "Survive and advance! Our effort was outstanding and withstood a great Columbus State team…having five people in double figures was big. Danasia's work on the defensive end and boards was tremendous. Caroline once again quietly had a big game. Jasmine was huge off the bench on both ends of the floor. North Georgia is extremely talented and big. It will be a good test for both teams."
 
ON THE HORIZON

Wingate plays North Georgia in Saturday's first semifinal contest at 5 p.m. Host Carson-Newman plays the Limestone-Lander winner at 7:30 p.m. The Southeast Regional tournament championship game is Monday at 7 p.m.