SALISBURY, N.C – Paced by graduate Brittney Stafford's season-high 23 points, No. 6 Anderson women's basketball (22-8) upsets the third-seeded Bulldogs of Wingate (22-10), 74-55, in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Southeast Regionals on Friday afternoon at Goodman Arena.
"I'm so proud of our team defense tonight from start to finish," boasted head coach Jonathon Barbaree. "We got stops when we needed and completed the play by grabbing the rebound."
"Offensively, we played solid around the rim with some big 3's from Tex and Ashley," stated Barbaree. "We do need to hit those free throws moving forward."
"We're excited to be moving on to the round of 32," added Barbaree.
Anderson's 9-0 run to begin the game, paired with relentless defense had the Bulldogs reeling for the entire 40 minutes of action. Wingate pulled to within six on two occasions, but the Trojans had a response each time keeping the game at a double-digit lead for most of the game.
The Black and Gold held the Bulldogs to just 10 first quarter points and 13 second quarter points to build an 11-point halftime lead. AU enjoyed its largest lead of the game on a jumper by Stafford with 7:40 left in the third quarter. Wingate made a push pulling within nine with under three minutes to go in the third, but a quick 5-0 run by the Trojans gave AU a comfortable 14-point lead.
Wingate began the fourth period down by 15-points, cutting the lead to eight with 6:29 remaining in the game. Anderson once again responded with a seven-point burst to put the lead back at 15 with 2:30 left in the contest. Over the final minutes of the game, AU held its ground to complete the 19-point upset over the Bulldogs.
Stafford led the Trojans with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Senior Nelliah Wilson netted 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds and was credited with two blocked shots. Senior Zamiya Passmore scored 15 points, dished out six assists and had four steals. Junior Diamond McDowell recorded her 16th double-double of the season chipping in 12 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. McDowell also dished out five assists. Sophomore Ashlyn Sheridan added seven points while grabbing four rebounds.
Wingate's Emily Hege was the lone Bulldog in double-digits scoring a team-high 16 points while also grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.
Anderson will face No.2 Carson-Newman in the semifinals tomorrow. Tip-off is slated for 5pm.
