HARROGATE, Tenn. – For the fourth straight season, LMU is in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals. This time, it is a 2:30 p.m. Saturday matchup against Wingate.

LMU (16-13) reached the second round following a gutsy 80-77 overtime win at Carson-Newman. The game featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes and neither team led by more than four points, but in the end the Lady Railsplitters were the last ones standing and last year's champions were staying home. The game came down to the final minute, where C-N's Haris Price hit a driving layup to cut the LMU lead to 76-75. After a couple of C-N fouls, Lindsay Proffitt was fouled and hit both free throws.

The Lady Eagles then missed a three-pointer and Sydney Newsome had grabbed the rebound, but a C-N player had dived for the rebound and missed and the referee just saw the fall and called a foul on Emily Griffith. C-N hit both free throws but again fouled Proffitt on the next possession. She again hit both and a C-N game-tying three-pointer went wide as LMU prevailed 80-77.

Emily Griffith led all scorers with 22 points, going 10-17 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line. Maxwell chipped in 14 points and a team-high six rebounds, while Rachel Griffith added in 10 points.

The winner of this game will face the winner of Anderson/Lenoir-Rhyne in the championship game Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
SERIES HISTORY
· LMU trails in the series 19-10. Wingate has won eight of the last fourteen meetings and are 10-3 against LMU in the Cuddy Arena. Wingate is one of only two teams that LMU has faced four times in a season, doing that in the 2016-17 season. The other? UVa-Wise (then Clinch Valley College) in the 1973-74 season.

· In their last meeting, on Feb. 9, LMU had an early nine point lead, but the Bulldogs eventually came back and took a nine point lead of their own in the third quarter. LMU cut the lead to one on two occasions in the fourth quarter but were unable to take the lead as Wingate held on for the 75-68 win. Emily Griffith led LMU with 17 points, including 7-7 from the free throw line. She also had four assists, two steals and a block. Rachel Griffith added in 12 points and seven assists. Jachimczuk led the team with eight rebounds. Teliyah Jeter and Jo Snow led WU with 16 points apiece while Danasia Witherspoon pulled down 12 rebounds.
 
SCOUTING WINGATE
· Wingate enters the game with a 21-7 record. They finished SAC play tied with C-N at 15-5 in SAC games, but won the tiebreaker by virtue of their season sweep over the Eagles.
 
· Caroline Averette is the only WU player averaging in double figures, but the team has six players averaging 7.0 points a game or better. Averette ranks eighth in the SAC in scoring and is the conference leader in free throw percentage.
 
· Danasia Witherspoon leads the team in rebounding with 5.4 a game. She is also the leader in steals with 2.2 a game. She ranks fourth in the SAC in total rebounds and steals, and fifth in rebounds per game.
 
· SAC Freshman of the Year Jo Snow is averaging 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
 
· As a team, the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents 67.6 to 57.6 points a game, and out-rebounding their opponents by a +11.5 margin.
 
· The Bulldogs lead the SAC in rebound margin. They are second in total rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and made free throws per game. 
 
SCOUTING LMU
· Head Coach Krystal Evans is in her fifth season at LMU. She has a 93-56 overall record.
 
· Emily Griffith and her twin sister Rachel currently lead the team in scoring, with Emily edging out Rachel 16.8 points a game to 13.7. In the SAC, Emily ranks fourth in total points and points per game; fifth in assists; ninth in steals; and third in made field goals while Rachel is ninth in scoring, sixth in assists, seventh in assist to turnover ratio, eleventh in steals, and third in made free throws. Sydney Newsome has 8.0 points a game, while Lindsay Proffitt and Dasia Maxwell each have 7.0.
 
· Rebounding is a team effort this season as Maggie Jachimczuk leads the team with 5.2 rebounds a game, followed closely by Newsome with 4.9 a game. Dasia Maxwell (4.3 per game) and Emily Griffith (4.2 per game each) are not far behind.  
 
· Emily Griffith leads the team with 3.5 assists a game, followed closely by Rachel with 3.2.

· The twins are also one-two in steals, with Emily averaging 1.8 steals a game and Rachel 1.7. Newsome and Maxwell have 1.3 a game each.
 
· LMU has the top three-point shooter in the SAC in Lindsay Proffitt as she leads the SAC with 44.9 percent. Sydney Duggins not far behind, but is not listed in the SAC standings because she has fallen below the minimum number per game. Rachel Griffith is 17th.
 
· As a team, LMU is averaging 73.8 points a game while holding opponents to 71.3. They are out-rebounding opponents by a margin of +4.9 a game.
 
· LMU leads the SAC in made free throws a game and offensive rebounds per game. They are second in three-point percentage, free throw attempts, and field goal attempts. They rank third in points, points per game, rebound margin, total rebounds per game, and made field goals per game; and rank fifth in steals per game and free throw percentage. They are sixth in assists per game and made three-pointers per game.
 
RECORD WATCH
· POINTS –Emily Griffith has 1028 points and ranks 19th. She needs 37 to tie no. 18 Laura Winters (1988-92). Rachel Griffith isn't far behind at 28th with 880 points.
 
· FIELD GOALS – Emily Griffith is 20th with 395 while Rachel Griffith is 33rd. Dasia Maxwell is in 63rd place.
 
· THREE-POINTERS – Rachel Griffith ranks 11th in made three pointers with 99 and trails Ashley Cox (1998-02) by three. Sydney Duggins ranks 22nd, while Dasia Maxwell is in 26th place. Emily Griffith is in 47th place.
 
· FREE THROWS – Emily Griffith is in 19th place with 216 free throws. She needs three to tie Robin Cox (1992-96). Rachel Griffith is in 20th place with 203. Emily also ranks fourth in career free throw percentage with a .812 percentage from the line.
 
· REBOUNDS – Emily Griffith is ranked 44th with 300 rebounds. She needs five to tie Jamie Jackson (2003-05) for 43rd place. Dasia Maxwell is 53rd, while Cameryn DuBose is in 71st place and Rachel Griffith ranks 76th. 

· ASSISTS – Emily Griffith is in 17th place with 241 assists. She needs 22 to tie Chasity Williams (2002-06) for 16th. Rachel Griffith is 22nd with 205. Dasia Maxwell is in 68th place and Sydney Newsome is 90th.

· BLOCKS – Emily Griffith is tied for 23rd with 39 career blocks with Cena Nasiloski (2008-10), five blocks (and five spots) ahead of teammate and fellow senior Dasia Maxwell. Cameryn DuBose is in 32nd place and Rachel Griffith is in 50th place.
 
· STEALS – Emily Griffith has 155 career steals, placing her at 13th. She needs six to tie Lori Neely (1985-89) and Ashley Cox (1998-02). Rachel Griffith is in 18th place with 131.