University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wingate (exhibition)
Carolina Cruises To Exhibition Win Over Wingate
November 6, 2013 | Women's Basketball
Freshman Allisha Gray led North Carolina with 15 points to pace six double-figure scorers. Diamond DeShields added 14 points and Stephanie Mavunga tossed in 11 points. N'Dea Bryant, Xylina McDaniel and Brittany Rountree all had 10 points apiece
Carolina jumped out to a 15-8 lead after a banked three-pointer by Megan Buckland at the top of the arc with 12:50 showing on the first-half clock.
Wingate cut the lead to 18-17 after Amber Neely made a jumper at the free throw line with 8:57 left in the half.
Mavunga answered with a three-point play at the other end, and DeShields followed with consecutive fast-break layups and 80 seconds later Carolina led 25-17.
Bryant's short jumper put Carolina back up double figures, 33-23. On the next two possession, Gray converted back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays for a 39-23 lead with 4:31 left until intermission.
Rountree drained a rainbow three-ball with just over a minute left in the opening half and Gray canned another jumper in the final seconds to send Carolina into halftime with a 51-27 lead.
The Heels closed the first half on a 33-10 run after Wingate had pulled to within one point, 18-17. The team shot 52.6 percent (20-of-38) from the floor in the first half, compared to 34.6 percent (9-of-26) for Wingate.
The home team came out of intermission determined not to let the Bulldogs back in the game. An 18-5 run over the first 5:36 put the game clearly out of reach as the Heels led 69-32 with 14:24 to play, the largest advantage Carolina enjoyed all night long.
Wingate's Janitsha Williams led all scorers with 22 points.
Carolina scored 37 points off 24 turnovers and had an 18-0 advantage in fast-break points.
North Carolina opens the regular season with a home game Friday against Air Force at 4:30 p.m. The Tar Heels with then welcome No. 4 Tennessee to Carmichael for Monday's highly-anticipated contest that is featured on ESPN2 at 9 p.m., as part of its 24-hour Tip-off Marathon.
