Wingate, N.C.----With over 1300 fifth-graders in attendance Wednesday morning, the Wingate University Bulldogs got a Laney Beale bucket with five seconds left en route to a 61-59 victory over Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action in cuddy Arena on Future Bulldogs Day. Wingate improves to 8-5 overall and 3-4 in the SAC, while the Indians fall to 5-7 overall and 3-4 in league play.  

KEY STATS

- Wingate shot 37 percent from the field, going five-for-21 from three-point range (24 percent)
- Catawba shot 40 percent from the field, connecting on 13-of-30 from deep (43 percent)
- The 'Dogs held a 51-35 rebounding advantage and 12-5 edge in second-chance points
- The Bulldogs scored 20 points off 20 Catawba turnovers, notching 12 steals
- Wingate was four-for-eight at the free throw line; the Indians went zero-for-five
- The 'Dogs outscored Catawba 34-20 in the paint

KEY BULLDOGS

- Maggie Shorma had 12 points and six rebounds, knocking down a pair of threes
- Beale had 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals
- Kyleigh Bacon added nine points and nine rebounds
- Laura Montiel contributed eight points, six boards, five assists and five steals
- Brayla Harris had seven points, three boards and two assists
- Kylie Chavis added four points, four boards, six assists and two steals
- Anasia Harvey registered four points and seven rebounds

FIRST QUARTER

- Two Montiel buckets helped Wingate jump out to a 6-0 lead three minutes in
- A Kaira Dixon-Booker bucket cut the lead to two at the 3:43 mark
- Back-to-back Harvey layups put the 'Dogs on top 12-6
- Catawba scored the final seven points of the frame, taking a 13-12 lead on a Julie Janus layup

SECOND QUARTER

- The Indians scored the first seven points of the second quarter, taking a 21-12 lead on a Janus triple
- A Shorma three and Bacon layup pulled the 'Dogs within four at the 7:51 mark
- A Saniya Wilson triple with 4:47 to go gave Catawba a 28-17 advantage
- A jumper and a three from Harris cut the lead to six at the 1:38 mark
- Bacon nailed a three at the buzzer to make it 30-25 at halftime  

THIRD QUARTER

- Buckets from Shorma and Montiel made it a one-point game in the opening minute
- Brooklin Ingram's three gave Catawba a 33-29 lead
- WU scored the next 12, with Beale and Alexandra Merceron scoring four points each in the spurt
- A Chi'Nya Isaac three at the 3:18 mark put the 'Dogs on top 44-36
- Shorma buried a triple with 10 seconds left, giving Wingate a 47-38 cushion

FOURTH QUARTER

- Buckets from Beale and Chavis stretched the WU lead to 10 with 8:43 remaining
- A Janus triple cut the lead to six, but Shorma's layup made it 55-47 with six minutes left
- Catawba scored the next nine, taking a 56-55 lead on a Wilson triple at the 3:34 mark
- Chavis's layup put Wingate back on top, but an Ingram three with 2:46 to go made it 59-57
- Bacon's jumper at the 2:20 mark tied it at 59
- Both teams traded stops until Wingate got the ball back with 28 seconds left
- Beale made a tough layup off a Chavis pass with five seconds left to make it 61-59
- She missed the free throw, but ta desperation three from Wilson was off the mark at the buzzer

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday, hosting Mars Hill at 2 p.m.