Staff report

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Catawba’s women’s basketball team will get some extra time to prepare for the Division II Southeast Regional.

The top-seeded Indians were ousted from the South Atlantic Conference Tournament by fifth-seeded Wingate in a Thursday semifinal. The Bulldogs controlled the final minutes at the Rock Hills Sports and Event Center and beat Catawba 90-77.

Wingate (21-9) out-shot the Indians, stayed close in the turnover battle where Catawba (23-5) usually has an enormous advantage and got to the foul line more frequently. Wingate was 27-for-35 on tree throws. Catawba was 11-for-15.

Jaia Wilson led the upset with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Mary Spry came off the bench for 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Indians. Nala Baker jumped off the bench for 14, and Sara McIntosh also had 14. Janiya Downs scored 10.

Catawba is heavily reliant on Lyrik Thorne against quality opponents, and she had one of those days where nothing was falling. Thorne shot 3-for-14, 1-for-10 from 3, and scored eight. She still did everything else. She had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Wingate pounded the Indians in the first quarter, but Catawba was the better team in the second quarter and got back to a 37-33 deficit at the half.

The teams played an even third quarter before the Indians made their last charge. It was 72-all with three minutes left.

Wingate responded with an 11-0 run — mostly free throws — that decided the game. Wilson had a big 3-pointer, a dagger, that stretched Wingate’s lead from six to nine.

It was 83-72 when McIntosh ended Catawba’s drought with two free throws with 23 seconds left.

Wingate moves on to play third-seeded Carson-Newman for the championship. Carson-Newman beat second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne 60-57.

Wingate    25    12    25   28    — 90

Catawba  13      20   25    19    — 77

CATAWBA — Spry 16, Baker 14, McIntosh 14, Downs 10, Thorne 8, Porter 7, S. Wilson 6, Foskey 2.