Wingate Women Advance To Regional Finals With 66-65 Win Over Augusta State

FLORENCE, S.C. -- The top-seeded Wingate University women's basketball team advances to the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament championship game Saturday night when the Bulldogs outlasted fifth-seeded Augusta State University 66-65 at Francis Marion's Smith University Center.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 25-7 overall. The Bulldogs will face the Lander/Clayton State winner at 7 p.m. Monday for a berth into the NCAA Division II Elite Eight March 26-29 in Kearney, Neb. The Augusta State Jaguars end their season at 20-10 overall.

Wingate junior point guard Anna Atkinson (Marion, N.C.) scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Bulldogs. The 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® first team member passes the 1000-point plateau with tonight's effort. Atkinson has 1011 career points entering Monday's championship game.

Bulldog freshman guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.) added 15 points, while sophomore center Stacie Rhodes (Raleigh, N.C.) contributed 12 markers. Wingate freshman forward Jessy Keitt (Charlotte, N.C.) had a game-high nine rebounds.

For Augusta State, sophomore guard Jasmine Godwin (Norcross, Ga.) had 11 points. ASU junior forward Tracey Paschal (Fairburn, Ga.) added 10 points for the Jaguars.

Wingate's Keitt put back an offensive rebound with 1:23 left in the game to give the Bulldogs a 64-62 lead. After an ASU turnover, Atkinson's jumper in the paint stretched the Wingate lead to 66-62 with 21 seconds left.

The Bulldogs missed two foul shots in the waning moments. Augusta State had the ball with five seconds remaining, but the Jaguars could not get off a final shot in the waning moments.

For the game, Wingate connected on 19-of-66 field goals for 28.8 percent, including three-of-12 three pointers for 25 percent. The Bulldogs made 25-of-32 free throws for 78.1 percent. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Jags 47-40.

The Jaguars were 24-of-58 from the field for 41.4 percent, including four-of-18 three pointers for 22.2 percent. Augusta State made 13-of-19 free throws for 68.4 percent.

Augusta State battled back from a 34-28 halftime deficit when the Jags tied the game at 34-34 with 18:11 left in the game on a pair of field goals by sophomore forward Porsha White (Hephzibah, Ga.) and two free throws by Paschal.

Wingate's largest lead of the second half was 45-38 when Rhodes' jumper gave the Bulldogs a 45-38 advantage with 14:47 left.

The Bulldogs made only six-of-33 field goals for 18.2 percent in the first half Wingate connected on 20-of-22 free throws for 90.9 percent to take the six-point halftime lead (34-28).

Augusta State went on a 7-0 run to start the game. Wingate scored its first two points on a pair of Atkinson free throws at 17:05. The Bulldogs retaliated with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 11-9 on two more Atkinson free throws at 10:13.

After Augusta State stretched its lead to 14-9 on a three-pointer by sophomore guard/forward Nicole Mealing (North Augusta, Ga.), Wingate tied the game at 14-14 on a three-point play and field goal by Atkinson.

Brooks gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 17-14 on a three-pointer with 7:12 left in the half. Wingate extended the advantage to 21-16 on a three-point play by senior guard/forward Kasey Gillis (Indian Trail, N.C.).

The Bulldogs stretched their lead to as much as nine points on several occasions, the first being 28-19 on a pair of free throws by Brooks at 4:24. The Jags cut the lead to 30-24 with 2:33 left after senior guard Sonya Jackson (Memphis, Tenn.) netted a pair of free throws and Godwin had a steal and lay-up.

Augusta State vs Wingate
03/15/08 6 p.m. at Smith University Center, Florence, S.C.

WINGATE WOMEN 66, AUGUSTA STATE 65
AUGUSTA STATE (20-10 overall)
Godwin, Jasmine 5-11 0-0 11; Paschal, Tracey 4-7 2-2 10; White, Porsha 3-4 2-3 8; Jarrard, Brittany 3-6 0-0 8; Sheppard, Kenisha 2-5 3-6 7; Mealing, Nicole 2-10 2-3 6; Jackson, Sonya 1-6 4-4 6; Ngulela, Deo 2-4 0-0 5; Wells, Adah 2-2 0-0 4; Parker, Sherika 0-3 0-1 0; Lampkin, Stacey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 13-19 65.

WINGATE (25-7 overall)
Atkinson, Anna 4-11 8-9 16; Brooks, CC 3-9 7-8 15; Rhodes, Stacie 4-7 4-4 12; Gillis, Kasey 3-12 3-3 9; Keitt, Jessy 2-4 3-7 7; Rosser, Sarah 1-2 0-0 3; West, Brittany 1-5 0-1 2; Crumlin, Erica 1-6 0-0 2; Edwards, Kate 0-5 0-0 0; Shuey, Stefani 0-5 0-0 0; Beeson, Lauren 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-66 25-32 66.

Augusta State................. 28 37 - 65
Wingate....................... 34 32 - 66

3-point goals--Augusta State 4-18 (Jarrard, Brittany 2-3; Ngulela, Deo 1-2; Godwin, Jasmine 1-3; Mealing, Nicole 0-7; Jackson, Sonya 0-3), Wingate 3-12 (Brooks, CC 2-2; Rosser, Sarah 1-1; Gillis, Kasey 0-1; West, Brittany 0-2; Edwards, Kate 0-4; Atkinson, Anna 0-2). Fouled out--Augusta State-None, Wingate-Rhodes, Stacie. Rebounds--Augusta State 40 (Parker, Sherika 8), Wingate 47 (Keitt, Jessy 9). Assists--Augusta State 15 (Ngulela, Deo 7), Wingate 12 (Atkinson, Anna 6). Total fouls--Augusta State 24, Wingate 19. Technical fouls--Augusta State-None, Wingate-None. A-261
NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament (semi-finals)
Wingate will play the LU/CSU winner in Monday's title game (7 p.m. tip)