FOR IMMEDIATE USE/MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2005

WINGATE EARNS BID TO NCAAs; BULLDOGS OPEN FRIDAY WITH CSU

Indianapolis, Ind.----The Wingate University women’s basketball team received an at-large bid to the 2005 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament, officials announced late Sunday night from NCAA headquarters.

Wingate (20-10 overall) earned the number five seed in the event and will face number four seed Columbus State (Ga.) University (20-10 overall) in the first round of the regionals Friday night at 8 p.m. The 2005 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tourney will be hosted in Spaulding Gymnasium on the campus of Shaw University in Raleigh.

The Bulldogs will be making their South Atlantic Conference-leading seventh appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. Wingate’s last appearance came in 2001, when the Bulldogs lost an 81-67 decision to North Carolina Central University in Columbus, Ga.

Wingate sports a lifetime record of 8-6 overall in NCAA Division II tournament play. The Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament in 1995 and 1996 en route to back-to-back appearances in the Elite Eight in Fargo, N.D.

The Bulldogs earned their eighth SAC regular season title with an 11-3 league record this year. Bulldog head coach Johnny Jacumin is the dean of SAC coaches, sporting a 25-year record of 542-203 overall during his tenure at Wingate. For his efforts this season, Jacumin was named SAC Co-Coach of the Year (along with Carson-Newman College's Dean Walsh).

Wingate advanced to the finals of the 2005 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament this season before falling to Carson-Newman College in the championship tilt. Bulldog junior center Veronica Taylor (Columbia, S.C.) pulled down 50 rebounds in the three-day event, establishing a tournament record in the process.

Taylor averaged 17.3 ppg and 16.7 rpg during the 2005 Food Lion SAC tourney. Taylor and sophomore guard Tanetra Barrett (Marshville, N.C.) were named first team All-South Atlantic Conference. Taylor was the only Bulldog to earn a spot on the Food Lion SAC All-Tournament team.

Taylor has 12 double-doubles (points, rebounds) this season and 30 for her career. She is second in the South Atlantic Conference in individual field goal percentage, hitting 55.8 percent of her attempts from the floor (192-of-334).

The three-time All-SAC selection is 17th in the NCAA Division II in individual field goal percentage. In addition, Taylor leads the Bulldogs in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg).

Barrett was named SAC Co-Player of the Year, sharing the honor with Carson-Newman freshman forward Brooke Johnson. On the season, Barrett is second on the Wingate team charts with 14.4 ppg. Barrett is listed in the top 10 in the SAC in scoring, steals, blocked shots, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Bulldog sophomore forward Emily Paffrath (Bakersville, N.C.) is 11th in the NCAA Division II in blocked shots with 3.0 blocks per game. She averages 7.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Paffrath was the 2004 SAC Freshman of the Year. Sophomore guard Petra Nagy (Budapest, Hungary) has 40 three-point field goals, tops on the team charts.

Wingate sophomore guard Lakin Byer (Bassett, Va.) and sophomore forward Kerri Metzker (Charlotte, N.C.) are the team’s top scorers off the bench, contributing 6.2 ppg each for the Bulldogs.

The 2005 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament begins Friday with four games scheduled in Spaulding Gymnasium. The semi-finals will be played Saturday and the championship game will be played Monday, March 14. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for students.