Wingate,  N.C.----The Wingate University men’s basketball team returns to South Atlantic Conference play Wednesday night, concluding a five-game home stand with an 8 p.m. league contest against Catawba College in Cuddy Arena. In 2010-11, the Bulldogs (5-7 overall this year, 1-1 SAC) won three-of-three meetings against the Indians (3-7 overall, 0-2 SAC).
 
In the 2011 Food Lion SAC tournament semi-finals, Wingate junior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) hit a career-high 23 points and his team shot 64 percent in the second half as the second-seeded Bulldogs defeated seventh-seeded Catawba 65-60 on March 5 in Hickory. Alexander hit 11-of-15 shots as Wingate hit 16-of-25 attempts in the pivotal second stanza.

In the February regular season match-up, junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals as the Bulldogs earned a 79-64 home victory on Feb. 2. Catawba guard Keon Moore had a monster night with 21 points and 14 rebounds in the February contest. On Jan. 5, visiting Wingate rallied for a 63-61 victory over Catawba in Goodman Gymnasium. Turner and senior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) scored 19 points each.
 
On Friday, Wingate finished the game on a 15-4 run to take an 83-77 NCAA Division II victory over Belmont Abbey in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldog bench outscored the Crusader reserves 39-24 with junior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) hitting six-of-six three-point field goals en route to a career-high 18 points. Turner led the Bulldogs with 20 points and eight rebounds. The Myers Park High School graduate hit 12-of-13 free throws, nailing six charity tosses in both halves.
 
The reigning SAC men’s basketball Player of the Week, Lewis leads the Bulldogs in three-point field goal percentage (54.3) and three-point field goals made (19). On the season, he is averaging 6.8 points per game (fifth on the team charts) and 2.9 rebounds per game.
 
Vaughn leads Wingate with 16.0 points per game. Turner is next with 13.4 points per game and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. Bulldog junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) contributes 11.5 points per game. Wingate leads the SAC with 5.8 blocked shots per game.
 
Interestingly enough, the Wingate-Catawba contest will feature the top four individual shot blockers in the league. Catawba freshman center Tyrece Little tops the league charts with 33 blocks. Wingate sophomores Jeffrey Parker (Madison, N.C.) and Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) are second and third with 26 and 18 blocked shots, respectively. Catawba junior big man Maurice Knight is fourth with 14 rejections.
 
Catawba’s Moore is third in the SAC with his 22.8 points per game scoring average. Both Catawba and Wingate have played two overtime games each this season. Catawba is 1-1 with a loss to Pfeiffer and a victory over Saint Augustine’s. Wingate has two overtime victories in two tries, with triumphs over Virginia Union and UNC Pembroke. On Saturday, Wingate visits Tusculum (4 p.m.), while Catawba hosts Anderson at the same time.
 
 WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,500 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 34 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.
 
Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.
 
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past five years.
 
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 42 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 51 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.