Staff report

SALISBURY — For the first time all season, Catawba’s women’s basketball team gained ground on Wingate.

Ranked 16th in Division II, Wingate (18-2, 16-1) suffered its first setback in South Atlantic Conference play on Wednesday night, losing 74-64 at Newberry despite 26 points by former Salisbury star Bryanna Troutman. The Bulldogs had an 18-game winning streak halted.

Meanwhile, at Goodman Gym, the 17th-ranked Indians (17-2, 14-2) were putting six women in double figures, including three reserves, and crushing Queens 99-73 for their fifth straight win.

Catawba has never lost to Queens in SAC play.

Catawba frequently does everything well — except shoot — but this time the Indians were on target, especially in a blistering first half in which they scored 57 points.

Catawba shot 55.6 percent for the game. The Indians were 8-for-10 at the foul line. They cooled off on 3-pointers in the second half, but they still made a respectable 11 of 31.

Sara McIntosh led the scoring parade with 15 points. Lyrik Thorne was 4-for-8 on 3-pointers and scored 14. Lauren Ford shot 6-for-7 for 12 points, while Ashley Roberts shot 5-for-7 for 12. Former South Rowan star Janiya Downs and Mercedes Wampler scored 11 each. Shemya Stanback (A.L. Brown) had seven assists.

Catawba had a 19-10 edge in turnovers and led by as many as 29 points.

Kalaya Hall scored 21 for Queens (6-12, 5-12) and Jori Wilks had 20, but the Royals couldn’t match Catawba’s depth.

Catawba plays at Wingate on Monday, the first meeting of the teams this season.

Queens  21   21   14   17  — 73

Catawba  30 27  21   21  — 99

QUEENS — Hall 21, Wilks 20, Hamze 10, Fuller 9, Garrison 8, McMillian 2, Drayton 2, Sink 1.

CATAWBA — McIntosh 15, Thorne 14, Roberts 12, Ford 12, Downs 11, Wampler 11, DeShazo 8, Porter 7, Phillips 5, Stanback 4.