VIDEO | Preview with Coach Hancock & Danasia Witherspoon

Anderson, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are the number three seed in this week's NCAA Southeast Regional tournament, which gets underway Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs get the action started at noon, taking on sixth-seeded Clayton State in the region quarterfinals. Wingate enters NCAA Tournament play 22-8 overall after going 15-5 in the SAC. This week's NCAA Southeast Regional is being hosted by Anderson University, with every game taking place inside the Abney Center.

ABOUT THE GAME
Friday, March 15 | 12 p.m.
NCAA Southeast Region Quarterfinals
Wingate (22-8) vs. Clayton State (21-9)
Anderson, S.C. (Abney Center)
Video
Live Stats
Championship Central

SERIES HISTORY

- Clayton State leads the all-time series 6-5
- Wingate is 3-1 in neutral site contests against the Lakers
- Last NCAA Tournament meeting was in 2012, a 64-63 Wingate victory in the NCAA region semifinals
- The 'Dogs are 3-0 against Clayton State in the NCAA Tournament
- CSU won 56-54 at home on opening weekend this season
- The Bulldogs downed the Lakers 59-48 on opening weekend last year in Cuddy Arena

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

- Wingate is making its SAC-best 18th appearance in the NCAA Tournament
- The 'Dogs are 19-17 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- This is the sixth straight appearance for the Bulldogs and eighth in the last nine years
- The 'Dogs have won at least one game two straight years and four of their last six appearances
- WU is looking for its first trip to the regional finals since 2012
- Wingate has advanced to the region quarterfinals two straight years and three of the last four seasons
- The Bulldogs have a SAC-best three regional championships, with the last coming in 2008

COACHES

- Ann Hancock is in her seventh season at Wingate
- She is 154-61 in her Wingate career, going 108-38 in league play
- Hancock has guided the 'Dogs to three SAC Tournament championships
- She has led Wingate to the NCAA Tournament in six of her seven years
- Kaleena Coleman is in her fourth season at Clayton State
- She is 81-38 in her CSU career, going 57-25 in the Peach Belt
- Coleman has led the Lakers to the NCAA Tournament in three of her four seasons

PREVIOUS MEETING THIS YEAR

- The Lakers defeated Wingate at home 56-54 in the second game of the season
- Wingate had the lead with three minutes left, but a Velencia Johnson three gave CSU the lead for good at the 1:43 mark
- CSU shot 36 percent from the field; Wingate shot 39 percent
- The 'Dogs held a 41-27 rebounding edge
- Wingate turned it over a season-high 26 times, leading to 17 Clayton State points
- The Lakers piled up 12 steals on the day
- The contest featured seven ties and eight lead changes
- Wingate had the largest lead of the game, an eight-point advantage midway through the second quarter
- The 'Dogs led for 24 minutes while CSU had the lead for 13 minutes
- Caroline Averette led Wingate with 12 points
- Teliyah Jeter added eight points, 10 rebounds and five blocks
- Danasia Witherspoon had seven points, five rebounds and three steals
- Madison Newby led Clayton State with 15 points
- Taneria Wilson added 11 points and four steals for the Lakers

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate is 141-45 over the past six seasons, with 101-27 mark in SAC play
- The Bulldogs have played in four straight SAC title games, winning a pair of championships
- The 'Dogs have reached the 20-win mark for the sixth straight year
- Averette was named a first team All-SAC selection
- Witherspoon earned honorable mention all-conference honors
- Jo Snow was named the SAC Freshman of the Year
- Averette and Courtney Robinson earned spots on the All-SAC Tournament Team
- After starting the season 1-2, the Bulldogs reeled off five straight wins, capped by a 67-58 victory over #11 Carson-Newman
- A seven-game winning streak in January moved the 'Dogs to 15-4 on the season
- Wingate closed out the regular seasons with victories over Queens and Tusculum to reach the 20-win mark
- The 'Dogs lead the SAC and rank fourth nationally in rebounding margin (10.5)
- WU has outrebounded its opponents by double figures in 18 of 27 games
- The Bulldogs have only been outrebounded twice this season (lost both games)
- Wingate ranks 20th nationally in offensive rebounding
- The 'Dogs are second in the SAC in scoring defense and third in field goal percentage defense
- Averette leads Wingate and is seventh in the SAC with 14.4 points per game
- She ranks seventh nationally in free throw percentage (89 percent)
- The senior is 10th in the SAC in field goal percentage and 13th in three-point percentage
- She has scored in double figures in 25 of 30 games this season
- Robinson is second on the team with 10.1 points per contest
- She has handed out a team-best 87 assists, ranking second with 46 steals
- Robinson is 12th in the SAC in field goal percentage
- Witherspoon averages 8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game
- She ranks fourth in the league in rebounding and fifth in steals
- Jordan Quick contributes 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, shooting 46 percent from the field
- Snow is adding 7.7 points per contest, shooting 35 percent from three-point range while handing out 63 assists
- Jeter leads the SAC and ranks 10th in the nation with 3.14 blocks per game, adding 7.4 points and 7.1
boards per contest

ABOUT THE LAKERS

- Clayton State has bounced back from a 14-15 season last year to go 21-9 with a 16-6 PBC record
- The Lakers finished fourth in the PBC standings, advancing to the PBC Tourney semifinals
- They closed out the regular season with four straight wins
- 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years for Clayton State, after missing last year's tourney
- Clayton State won the national championship in 2011
- The Lakers collected four region titles from 2005-2014 highlighted by the national title
- Clayton State ranks seventh nationally in steals and steals per game, ranking sixth turnovers forced
- CSU ranks fifth nationally in free throws attempted and ninth in three-point defense
- Newby leads Clayton State with 12.5 points per game, adding 68 assists and 58 steals
- Wilson adds 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game to go along with 73 steals and 58 assists
- Aleisha Merriweather adds 9.2 points and 5.5 boards per contest
- Tatiana Foster has handed out a team-best 84 assists on the year
- Seven different players have over 30 steals this season

UP NEXT

- The winner advances to Saturday's regional semifinals to face the North Georgia vs. Emmanuel winner
- That semifinal contest will take place Saturday at 5 p.m.
- The region championship game is Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
- Every game of the regional will take place at the Abney Center on the campus of Anderson University
- The winner of the Southeast Regional will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight  
- The NCAA Division II Elite Eight begins March 26 in Columbus, Ohio