Bulldogs open SAC play with 77-67 victory over LMU Railsplitters Saturday

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior guard Kurie Washington (Marion, N.C.) had 20 points, leading four double-figure scorers for the Bulldogs in a 77-67 win over Lincoln Memorial University in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the SAC. Bulldog head coach Barbara Nelson earns her 499th career victory with the triumph. The visiting LMU Railsplitters fall to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the SAC.
          
Washington hit 13-of-14 from the free throw line on the afternoon to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman guard Janitsha Williams (Statesville, N.C.) added 13 points and seven rebounds, while junior forward Simone Rutledge (Atlanta, Ga.) had 13 points and five boards. Senior guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.) had 11 points and five steals, while freshman forward Chantal Dunbar (Norfolk, Va.) had eight points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Junior guard Dayshalee Salaman (Carolina, P.R.) had 19 points to lead the LMU attack. Junior center Patrice Talley (Easley, S.C.) added 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for the Railsplitters.

The first half stayed tightly contested throughout the frame. A jumper from Lincoln Memorial junior forward Melanie Hemphill (Chattanooga, Tenn.) put the Railsplitters on top 24-21 with six minutes remaining in the first half. Wingate answered by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to take a 31-26 lead at the 4:06 mark. A Brooks’ three-point play gave the ‘Dogs a two-point lead, while a steal and lay-up by Brooks pushed the lead to four. She added another free throw to cap the spurt and make it a five-point game.
          
Lincoln Memorial scored the next seven points to take a 33-31 lead in the final seconds of the half. Junior guard Amberly O’Dell (Argos, Ind.) drained a three to tie the game at 31, while a Talley jumper put the Railsplitters on top with 20 seconds remaining. Brooks knocked down a pair of free throws with five seconds to go to tie the game heading to intermission.
          
Jumpers from Williams and Rutledge gave the ‘Dogs a 44-37 edge five minutes into the second half. A jumper from senior forward LaChelle Hyatt (Oklahoma City, Okla.), followed by a three-point play from Salaman, trimmed the Wingate lead to 48-45 at the 11:40 mark. The ‘Dogs had the answer, knocking down their first two three-point field goals of the game on consecutive possessions to push the lead back to nine. Washington knocked down the first, while a trifecta from Williams made it 54-45 at the 10:56 mark. A pair of free throws from Williams gave Wingate an 11-point lead 22 seconds later.

The ‘Splitters would not go away, getting jumpers from Salaman and junior guard Destiny Williams (Upper Marlboro, Md.) to make it 59-54 with 6:32 to go. Wingate scored the next six points, capped by a three from Rutledge to make it 65-54 at the 5:18 mark. Six consecutive free throws from Washington, along with a jumper from Dunbar, gave Wingate its largest lead of the game at 77-62 with 47 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs shot 41.2 percent from the field on the day, while hitting three-of-seven from three-point range (42.9 percent). LMU shot 41.7 percent, while hitting seven-of-19 shots from beyond the arc (36.8 percent). The Bulldogs held a huge advantage at the free throw line, knocking down 32-of-39 free throws on the afternoon (82.1 percent). The Railsplitters hit 10-of-13 from the charity stripe (76.9 percent). Wingate also held a 40-30 rebounding advantage.

Both teams will take a break for final exams before returning to league play. The Bulldogs resume action Wednesday, Dec. 15, traveling to Carson-Newman for a 6 p.m. start. Lincoln Memorial will host Catawba Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)