Wingate N.C.-- Ashley Woodroffe potential game-winning shot falls just short as Wingate holds on to a 55-54 win over the Bears in a non-conference tilt Wednesday evening in Wingate. The game saw 16 lead changes and 10 ties and came down to the buzzer. Woodroffe and Mallory Sherrill lead the Bears with a dozen a piece as the Bears drop their fifth straight game to the Bulldogs. 

GAME INFORMATION:
Final: Wingate 55, Lenoir-Rhyne 54
Records: Wingate (7-8, 6-7 SAC) | Lenoir-Rhyne (3-10, 3-9 SAC)
Location: Cuddy Arena

STATS AND INFO:
-Bears struggles on the road continue, Bears are 0-7 on the road this year and have lost their last 11 on the road dating back to last year.
-This is the first non conference game against the Bulldogs since Wingate joined the SAC in 1989.
-This game was a last minute add since both teams had an open spot on their schedule due to cancellations

FIRST HALF:
-Bears grabbed the early lead as Emily Harman and Nakia Hooks each had four points in the first quarter for the Bears. Bears stretch their lead to six early in the second quarter before Wingate went on a 10-4 run in the last seven minutes of the half. 
-Both teams were ice cold from the floor as neither team shot 30% in the half. Bears were 8-27 (29.6%) while Wingate was even colder at 21.4% (6-28), The teams combined to go 3-19 from the 3-point line in the half. 
-As cold as the teams were from the floor, Both teams drained their free throws. Wingate went 9-10 from the line while the Bears hit all six of their freebies. 
-Seven Bears scored in the half but no one had more then four points. Addisen DeLucas, Emily Harman, Mallory Sherrill, and Ashley Woodroffe each had four points at the half. 
-In the first meeting, both teams had 32 rebounds in the game, after the first half today both teams had 21 rebounds a piece.  9 different Wingate players grabbed a board in the half. 
-23 first half points is the least amount of points the Bears have scored in the first half since the calendar flipped to 2021.

SECOND HALF:
-The second half was back and forth battle. The second half saw 14 lead changes and the game stayed within one possession for the whole half. 
-Kennedy Weigt gave the Bears a 52-49 lead with 2:27 with her 188th career 3-pointer of her career,
-After Wingate got two-free throws, Ashley Woodroffe extended the Bears lead to 54-51 with 1:41 but the Bulldogs scored the last two baskets of the night. 
-First Bryanna Troutman had a putback basket after her fifth offensive rebound of the night with :45 seconds left and after a steal by Wingate's Dapheny Saylor. The Bulldogs got a basket by Jaia Wilson with 12 seconds on the clock to gave the Bulldogs a 55-54 lead.
-Bears had the last shot but Ashley Woodroffe jumper in the corner falls shot giving the Bulldogs the 55-54 win. 
-The big difference in the second half was the Bulldogs on the offensive glass. WIngate entered the game 7th in the Nation averaging 17.9 offensive rebounds per game. Wingate had 17 offensive rebounds in the second half alone leading to 15 second chance points for them. The Bears got out-rebounded 21-10 in the half. 

ABOUT THE BEARS:
-Woodroffe and Sherrill lead the Bears with 12 points on the evening. Both had 8 points after the half for the Bears. 
-Woodroffe tied a career high with six assists. This marks the third game the sophomore guard as had six assists in her two year career
-Kiara Moore grabbed six rebounds in her 15 minutes tonight, one of her season high. 
-After shooting 29% in the first half, The Bears settled in shooting 52% in the second half. 
-With her three pointer in the 4th Quarter, Weigt now has at least one 3-pointer in 46 of her last 50 games. 

NOTABLE BULLDOGS:
-Haleigh Hatfield, a grad transfer and SAC player of the week winner this year returned to the Bulldogs lineup after missing the last two games. Hatfield finished with double-double on the night with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 
-Bryanna Troutman entered the game on a hot streak, averaging 22 points and 15 rebounds in her last three games. Bears did a good job limiting  her to just 9 points and 8 rebounds tonight. 
-The game winning basket by Jaia Wilson gave her a game high 14 points for the sophomore, It marks her 6th straight game in double figures for the Bulldogs. 

UP NEXT:  Bears will return home to play Anderson on Saturday at 2:00 PM