Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs defeated UNC Pembroke Saturday night 55-54 after a game-sealing block from senior forward Bryanna Troutman in NCAA Division II women's basketball action from Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Braves drop to 0-2.
 
KEY STATS
 
- UNC Pembroke shot 33 percent from the field; Wingate made 29 percent of its shots
- The Bulldogs were five-for-20 (25 percent) from three-point range; UNCP was two-of-14 (14 percent) from deep
- WU made 22 of its 37 (60 percent) free throw attempts, while the Braves were 16-for-20 (80 percent)
- Wingate out-rebounded Pembroke 43-36
- The 'Dogs turned 15 UNCP turnovers into 20 points; 20 Wingate turnovers turned into 13 points for the Braves
- UNC Pembroke out-scored WU in the paint 26-10
- The Braves' bench out-scored the Bulldogs' 18-4
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Emily Hege posted a career-high 19 points with three three-pointers, shooting a perfect six-for-six from the foul line
- Troutman added 14 points and seven rebounds
- Jaia Wilson recorded 12 points and six rebounds
- Lauren Sullivan scored five points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
- An early three-pointer from Courtney Smith gave the Braves a 5-2 lead
- Hege responded with five points as part of an 8-0 Wingate run
- Kalaya Hall's layup with seven seconds left put UNCP up 12-11 after 10 minutes
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
- Wilson's three-pointer returned the lead to the Bulldogs in the opening 30 seconds of the quarter
- The teams traded baskets for the entirety of the quarter, with neither taking more than a one-possession lead for the first eight minutes of the period
- Wingate broke through the back-and-forth with a 7-0 run to give them a 29-24 lead at the 1:58 mark
- UNCP scored the final five points of the half to tie it at 29 heading into the break
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
- The 'Dogs utilized a quick 5-0 mini-run to start the second half to retake the lead
- A Wilson layup gave Wingate a 38-31 lead at the seven-minute mark
- From there, the Braves went on an 8-0 run of their own to take the lead back at 39-38
- The 'Dogs scored the final five points of the period to take a 45-41 lead into the final quarter
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
- Kayla Hall was the first to score from either side in the fourth at the 8:13 mark
- A 5-0 mini-run from UNCP turned a 50-45 deficit into a tie game at 50
- Tied at 52, Troutman broke the tie with a pair of free throws with 1:54 to go
- Sullivan's free throw with 1:36 left to push the lead to three
- Hall knocked down a pair of free throws for UNCP to cut their deficit back down to a single point with 52 seconds left
- The Braves were fouled with nine seconds left, but missed both free throws
- Following a missed shot from Wingate, UNCP called a timeout to advance into the frontcourt with two seconds left
- Alcenia Purnell's potential game-winning three-pointer was blocked by Troutman to earn the victory
 
UP NEXT
 
- The Bulldogs remain at home next week with a matchup with Converse on Future Bulldog Day at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday