Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore guard Emily Hege scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting Saturday afternoon, leading the Bulldogs to an 88-71 victory at Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action. Wingate improves to 15-8 overall and 10-5 in the SAC, while the Pioneers fall to 3-18 overall and 1-14 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Wingate shot 57 percent from the field, going 10-for-27 from three-point range (37 percent)
- Tusculum shot 46 percent from the field, connecting on 11-of-27 from deep (41 percent)
- The Bulldogs held a 34-27 rebounding advantage; TU had a 9-8 edge in second-chance points
- The 'Dogs scored 25 points off 17 Tusculum turnovers
- Wingate piled up 26 assists on 38 field goals
- The Bulldogs outscored the Pioneers 40-22 in the paint

KEY BULLDOGS

- Hege had 23 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals
- Jaia Wilson added 13 points, four assists and two boards
- Hannah Clark contributed 11 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals
- Anna Baraldi added 11 points, knocking down three triples
- Trinity Breedlove had 10 points on five-of-eight shooting
- Laney Beale collected eight points, 10 boards, seven assists and a steal
- Lia Anderson had eight points, three rebounds and a block

FIRST QUARTER

- A triple and layup from Hege gave Wingate an 11-6 lead three minutes in
- A Faith Silva three cut the lead to one
- A three and a jumper from Baraldi stretched the lead to eight at 20-12
- Buckets from Anderson and Beale put the 'Dogs on top 26-15 at the 2:22 mark
- A Ni'Kiah Chesterfield layup a minute later trimmed the lead to seven
- Baraldi answered with a three, while Anderson's layup made it 31-19

SECOND QUARTER

- Wilson buried a three in the opening minute to extend the lead to 13
- Carleigh Wilson pulled Tusculum back within eight at 34-26
- Wingate scored the next 12, getting seven points from Wilson to take a 46-26 lead
- Beale's jumper with two minutes left pushed the lead to 21
- A Shaylin Pollock layup with 10 seconds left made it 52-29

THIRD QUARTER

- A Delana Debusk bucket pulled the Pioneers within 17 with 6:57 to go
- The 'Dogs scored the next nine, getting four Anderson points and a Hege triple to make it 66-40
- Two Carleigh Wilson free throws in the final second made it 73-53

FOURTH QUARTER

- Three straight Breedlove buckets put the 'Dogs on top 79-53 two minutes into the final frame
- Tusculum scored the next 13, making it 79-66 on a Debusk jumper at the 4:38 mark
- A Breedlove layup and Hege three pushed the lead back to 18 with three minutes to go
- A triple and free throw from Clark made it 88-68 with 1:24 remaining

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Wednesday, hosting Newberry at 5:30 p.m.