Wingate, N.C.----The top-seeded and 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are on to the SAC Tournament championship game for the third straight season after taking down fourth-seeded Newberry College 16-10 Wednesday evening in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse tournament at Irwin Belk Stadium. The Bulldogs improve to 13-4 overall, while the Wolves fall to 10-8 on the season. Wingate will look for its second straight SAC Tournament championship Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Matthews Sportsplex, taking on #17 Limestone.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Newberry 35-23
- The 'Dogs held a 29-17 advantage in shots on goal
- The Bulldogs won 17 of the 30 draw controls
- Wingate was 22-for-24 on clears; the Wolves were 20-for-27
- Newberry had 23 turnovers compared to Wingate's 19
- The 'Dogs held a 27-23 advantage in ground balls

KEY BULLDOGS

- Kaleigh Wilgeroth had three goals, two assists and two caused turnovers for the 'Dogs
- Danielle Scarfogliero added three goal and an assist
- Claire Fuchs piled up two goals, an assist, five draw controls, two CTs and five ground balls
- Nelida Watson and Megan Millard scored a pair of goals apiece
- Julia Garvin and Blake Clouser contributed a goal and an assist each
- Leah Knowles contributed a goal, two draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover
- Megan Magill also scored a goal
- Katie Koroly piled up five caused turnovers, eight ground balls and seven draw controls
- Krysta Churns and Emliy Blakely added two CTs apiece
- Megan Biase registered seven saves on the day

FIRST QUARTER

- Wingate struck five times in the first nine minutes and never looked back
- Watson scored in the opening minute off a Scarfogliero assist
- Knowles scored a minute later off a Wilgeroth assist
- Goals from Scarfogliero and Millard made it 4-0 with seven minutes to go
- Garvin scored a minute later to extend the lead to five
- Serena Elias got Newberry on the board with 1:33 remaining in the frame

SECOND QUARTER

- Wilgeroth scored 55 seconds in to make it 6-1
- Morgan Parsons answered at the 12:35 mark to cut the lead to four
- Magill scored off a Fuchs assist 70 seconds later to make it 7-2
- Heather Johnson cut the lead back to four with a goal at the 9:58 mark
- Clouser started a 3-0 WU run with a goal with 6:24 remaining
- Wingate scored twice in the final 40 seconds of the half
- Wilgeroth's goal made it 9-3 with 39 seconds left
- Wilgeroth scored against 24 seconds later off a Clouser assist, making it 10-3

THIRD QUARTER

- Scarfogliero scored off a Wilgeroth assist five minutes into the second half to push the lead to eight
- Ella Todd scored to make it 11-5 at the 4:48 mark
- Scarfogliero answered with a goal off a Garvin assist to push the lead back to seven
- Fuchs scored with two minutes remaining, putting the 'Dogs on top 13-5

FOURTH QUARTER

- Fuchs scored 90 seconds into the final frame to give the Bulldogs a nine-goal lead
- Marissa Plumer's goal at the 11:17 mark made it 14-7
- Millard answered a minute later to push the lead back to eight
- Hanna Bond scored with 8:52 to go to cut the lead back to seven
- Watson's goal at the 4:05 mark put the 'Dogs on top 16-8

UP NEXT

- Wingate will play in the SAC championship Sunday at 1 p.m. against #17 Limestone
- The Bulldogs are looking for their second straight SAC Tournament title
- The 'Dogs defeated Limestone 12-8 last weekend to clinch a share of the regular season title
- The contest will take place at the Matthews Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C.