Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs utilized a balanced scoring attack on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 75-48 victory over King University in NCAA Division II women's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs improve to 5-1 overall, while the Tornado drop to 2-6 on the season.
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate shot 44 percent from the field, while holding King to 21 percent shooting
- The Tornado were eight-for-22 (36 percent) from three-point range; the Bulldogs were five-of-16 (31 percent)
- KU was 14-of-18 (78 percent) from the free throw line, while WU was eight-for-12 (67 percent) from the charity stripe
- The 'Dogs out-rebounded King 53-39, out-scoring King 18-11 in second-chance points
- Wingate had 22 assists; the Tornado were limited to seven
- WU turned 18 King turnovers into 14 points, while the Tornado turned 17 Bulldog turnovers into 11 points
- The 'Dogs out-scored KU 50-8 in the paint
- Wingate won the fast-break battle 16-6
- WU's bench out-scored the Tornado's 34-12
- The Bulldogs led the entire way, holding the advantage for 39:50
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Hannah Clark stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals
- Laura Kozo also had a team-high 12 points on six-for-seven shooting
- Jaia Wilson posted 11 points and seven boards
- Bryanna Troutman added 10 points and nine rebounds, with six coming on the offensive glass
- Emily Hege chipped in eight points, six rebounds and four assists
- AJ Davis added six points and five rebounds off the bench
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
- The Bulldogs sprinted out of the gates, using a pair of Troutman baskets to spark an 8-0 run to begin the game
- King's first basket came over halfway through the opening quarter
- Laney Beale's jumper in transition gave Wingate a 14-2 lead less than seven minutes in
- Le'Aije Ellington knocked down a pair of threes for KU, but the offense for the Bulldogs kept rolling to maintain the double-digit lead
- Hege's layup put WU's 20th point on the board in just nine minutes
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
- King scored the first five points of the quarter; Ellington's third triple cut their deficit to 20-12
- Wingate responded with an 8-0 run, as a pair of free throws from Adair Garrison extended the lead to 16 points
- Wilson's layup at the 3:19 mark put the 'Dogs up 35-15
- The Tornado used a 7-0 run to cut into the deficit, but still trailed 40-26 after the first half
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
- The 'Dogs started the second half how they began the first, scoring the first seven points out of the break to take a 21-point lead just over two minutes in
- KU turned around with a 12-0 run of their own, cutting the deficit to just nine points after Ellington's fifth three-pointer of the game
- Wingate calmed down the run, scoring seven of the next nine points as Wilson's three returned the Bulldog lead to 14 points
- Kozo's jumper capped the third-quarter scoring, as WU took a 56-43 lead to the final quarter
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
- Wingate continued its hot starts to quarters, scoring the first nine of the final period
- Clark's layup returned the WU lead to 22 points at the 6:18 mark
- The 'Dogs held King to just three points for the final 5:55 of the contest
- Wingate's final margin of 27 points was their largest of the game, as Troutman's pair of free throws put the finishing touches on the 75-48 victory
 
UP NEXT
 
- The Bulldogs return to the road next week, traveling to Fayetteville State for a 2 p.m. tip next Saturday
- WU returns to Cuddy Arena on Dec. 30, hosting Belmont Abbey at 2 p.m.