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LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

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Sports Release                                                                                                                      January 5, 2008

Atkinson & Gillis Lead Wingate Past LMU 65-63

WINGATE, NC-- Wingate University junior point guard Anna Atkinson (Marion, N.C.) had 20 points, 12 assists and five steals while senior guard/forward Kasey Gillis (Indian Trail, N.C.) added a career-high 19 points to lead Wingtae past Lincoln Memorial University 65-63 in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Cuddy Arena. With the win, WU improves to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the SAC. LMU falls to 6-5, and 0-2 in the league. (Box score)

Gillis and Atkinson were both efficient from the field; Gillis was eight-of-11 while Atkinson was nine-for-14. Saturday’s contest marked the fifth consecutive game Gillis has scored in double figures. Wingate sophomore post Erica Crumlin (Irmo, S.C.) added eight points and a team-high six rebounds.

Sophomore forward Andi Winney (Yorktown, Ind.) led the LMU attack with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Megan Davis (Petersburg, Ind.) added 14 points for the Lady Railsplitters, while senior forward Heather Benton (Wooton, Ky.) chipped in 10 markers.

An Atkinson lay-up gave Wingate a five-point advantage at 24-19 with 6:29 remaining in the first half. Back-to-back buckets by Benton and Winney cut the lead to 26-25 at the 5:32 mark. Wingate had the answer, getting a pair of free throws from freshman forward Stefani Shuey (Charlotte, N.C.) and a jumper from Atkinson to regain the five-point edge at 30-25 with 4:54 remaining in the opening frame.

After a lay-up from freshman guard CC Brooks (Mount Holly, N.C.), Atkinson ended the first half with a steal and a lay-up to give Wingate a 36-27 advantage at intermission. The nine-point lead was Wingate’s largest advantage in the first half. WU shot 45 percent in the first half and converted 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Lincoln Memorial shot 34 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, while going four-for-four from the line.

A Crumlin free throw, followed by a Crumlin jumper stretched the Wingate lead to 49-36 with 13:39 remaining. A three-pointer from freshman guard Stephanie Wagner (Elkhart, Ind.), followed by another Wagner jumper cut the lead to eight. An Atkinson lay-up and a pair of Gillis jumpers gave Wingate its largest lead of the game at 57-43 with nine minutes remaining.

Lincoln Memorial would chip away at the lead over the next several minutes. A three-pointer from Davis cut the lead to eight. A pair of free throws, followed by a jumper from Sarah Harrison (Sneedville, Tenn.) cut the lead to four (59-55) with 5:33 remaining. Benton then hit a jumper and a lay-up to tie the game 61-61 with 3:22 left in the game.

Atkinson hit a jumper to put Wingate up 63-61. Davis responded with a lay-up to tie the game at 63 at the 2:55 plateau. WUonce again turned to Atkinson, who hit a jumper in the paint to give Wingate a 65-63 lead. The Atkinson hoop would represent the final points of the game. The Lady Railsplitters had several chances to tie the game in the final two minutes, but missed three shots and recorded a turnover.

Wingate shot 45 percent from the field for the game (27-of-60). Lincoln Memorial shot 37.7 percent (26-of-69). The Lady Railsplitters held a 42-35 rebounding advantage, thanks to 10 boards by Winney and seven from senior guard Kate Fane (Sterling, Ill.). WU took advantage of an aggressive defense, forcing 21 turnovers.

Wingate returns to action Monday, when they host Johnson C. Smith University at 7 p.m. and then returns to conference action Wednesday, when they travel to Catawba College for a 6 p.m. start. Next up for LMU is a SAC game at Tusculum College Wednesday at 6 p.m.

-LMU-