JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Wingate made 55 percent of its field-goal attempts in the second half to overcome a 15-point deficit and topple Carson-Newman for the seventh straight meeting 80-75 Saturday afternoon at Holt Fieldhouse in South Atlantic Conference play.
Wingate (10-3, 6-2) hands Carson-Newman (8-6, 5-3) a loss for the seventh straight meeting and wins the first overtime game between the two programs as C-N has not won a game against the Bulldogs since March 2, 2013 at Mossy Creek.
"Wingate is a good team," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We knew that. They are never out of it. They are going to keep coming back. Unfortunately we just didn't hold on long enough. That's the third game in conference play that we had a shot at the end to win it. We are a really good 8-6 basketball team, I can guarantee you that."
The Lady Eagles made three of their first four shots while Wingate committed three turnovers as C-N took a 7-0 lead 1:22 into the contest. The lead extended to 10 moments later at 14-4 before the first quarter closed with a 17-8 lead for the home team. The Bulldogs were just 4-for-17 from the floor with six giveaways in the frame.
Wingate pulled within four points at 17-13 only to see Carson-Newman stretch the lead to a game-high 13 points on two occasions. The Lady Eagles went into the locker room leading 37-25 as they made seven of 11 shot attempts in the second quarter to shoot 64 percent.
Overall in the half C-N shot 50 percent while holding Wingate to 29 percent shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs turned the ball over eight times in the first half leading to 10 points for Mincey's group.
Redshirt-junior Katie Stubblefield (Alcoa, Tenn.) made all five of her shot attempts in the first half to score 12 points, the only player in double figures in the first 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs made 50 percent of their shots in the third quarter and pulled with seven making four of five field-goal attempts to make it a 53-46 contest. A pull-up left baseline jumper from Stubblefield as the third quarter expired to push the lead to 57-48.
A 9-1 run for Wingate pulled the visitors within a point at 60-59 as the Bulldogs made four of five shots. A 7-2 sequence saw the visiting group take its first lead of the day at 66-64 with 3:07 to go in the game.
A floating layup from Alex Tomlinson with 19 seconds to play in the game tied the score at 71. Kailyn Brooks missed a free-throw jump shot with 4.3 seconds to play and Wingate did not get a shot attempt on its final possession to send the game to overtime.
Carson-Newman did not make a shot from the field in the overtime period settling for four free throws and Wingate pushed the lead to as many as five points and scored the final four of the day as C-N failed to score in the final two minutes.
Senior guard Kailyn Brooks (Lafayette, Tenn.) finished with 20 points and eight assists on the day tying a career-high with six made three-pointers on the afternoon. Stubblefield finished with a career-high 18 points making seven of eight shots from the field.
Sophomore forward Mika Wester (Newport, Tenn.) scored in double figures for the 13th straight game going for 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks.
Danasia Witherspoon ended the day with a double-double at 20 points and 11 points to go along with four steals as one of five players in double figures.
Caroline Averette had 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. Kristina Rumplasch had 12 points, Tomlinson had 11 points and Marta Miscenko had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Carson-Newman is on the road for both games next week beginning with a trip to Brevard Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The Eagle Sports Network will provide broadcast coverage on Mountain Country 106.3 WPFT-FM and cneagles.com/live beginning at 5:45 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off".
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