Anderson, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs will look to continue on their best SAC start in program history Wednesday night when they travel to Anderson University for an 8 p.m. tip. Wingate and Anderson are the only two teams in the conference with undefeated league records. Both teams enter Wednesday’s contest at 10-4 overall and 6-0 in the SAC.

“This is a huge test for us,” head coach Brian Good says. “Anderson is a very talented, well-coached team. Our ability to defend the three-point line will be a challenge, as they are the best shooting team we have faced.”

The Bulldogs have been on an impressive run over the past five games, winning all five contests by 21 points or more. Wingate has won the five league games by a combined 132 points, good for an average victory of 26.4 points per game. The Bulldogs have shot over 52 percent in all five victories, while shooting over 55 percent in each of their last three games. The defense has also gotten it done, holding all five opponents below 66 points, while holding three teams under 48 points.

Wingate’s most recent victory came Saturday, a 78-57 victory over Brevard. Senior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the attack, hitting seven-of-10 shots from the field. Sophomore guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) and senior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 15 points each.

The Bulldogs started their winning streak with a 76-47 win over Tusculum on Jan. 5. Daye led the way with 23 points on eight-of-11 shooting. Turner added 12 points, six rebounds and four steals, while junior center Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 10 points and eight boards. Wingate followed with a 21-point win over Lenoir-Rhyne the following Wednesday, getting 13 points from Matilus. Turner added 12 points and 13 rebounds, while junior forward Jeff Parker(Madison, N.C.) had 11 points and three blocks. Wingate held LRU to 30 percent shooting from the field, out-rebounding the Bears 43-26. Wingate pushed its winning streak to three games on Jan. 12, winning 89-65 at Mars Hill. Daye needed only 21 minutes to score a career-high 26 points, hitting nine-of-12 shots from the field. Turman added 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while senior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had a season-high 13 points.

The most dominant victory came last Wednesday, when Wingate held Newberry 51 points below their season average in a 79-42 victory. The Bulldog defense held the nation’s third-best offense to just 12 field goals and 20 percent shooting, both season lows by wide margins. Turman led five Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points and seven rebounds, hitting seven-of-eight shots from the field. Turner added 11 points and nine boards, while senior guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) had 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five steals. The Bulldogs dominated inside, outscoring the Wolves 50-12 in the paint.

Wingate’s balanced attack has three players scoring over 11.5 points per game. Matilus leads the way with 12.0 points per contest, followed by Turner at 11.9. The preseason first team All-SAC selection ranks second in the league with 9.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 65.1 percent from the field in league games, ranking second in the SAC. Daye is scoring 11.6 points per game, while shooting a league-best 67.3 percent from the field in SAC contests. He also leads the conference in three-point shooting (52.6 percent).

Kincaid is third in the league with 4.2 assists per contest, while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio. Turman ranks fourth on the team with 7.4 points per game, while ranking sixth in the SAC with 7.2 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 61.3 percent from the field on the year, ranking second in the conference. His 63.9 percent shooting in league play trails only his teammates Turner and Daye. Parker ranks third in the SAC with 1.6 blocks per game.

The Bulldogs and Trojans met four times last year, including a matchup in the SAC championship game and in the NCAA Regional semifinals. Anderson won three of the four meetings. The Trojans won 70-54 in Cuddy Arena, holding Wingate to 33 percent shooting from the field. SAC Player of the Year Denzail Jones had 15 points to lead the Trojans to a 63-57 victory in Anderson. The Bulldogs led wire-to-wire in the SAC title game, winning 66-59 thanks to 22 points from 2012 senior Jaime Vaughn. Turner added 12 points and eight rebounds. Jones had 21 points and eight assists in the regional semifinal contest, leading Anderson to a 71-63 victory. Vaughn led the Bulldogs with 19 points.

Jones leads the league with 20.6 points per game, while Chandler Hash ranks sixth with 15.3 points per contest. Both rank in the top 10 in the SAC in three-point percentage, with Hash shooting 43.9 percent and Jones checking in at 42.5 percent. The two combine to make five three-pointers per game. Bo Holston is scoring 10.9 points per game for the Trojans, while shooting a league-best 60 percent from three-point range in SAC games. Anderson won 85-80 over Carson-Newman Saturday, shooting 62.5 percent from three-point range. The Trojans knocked down 10-of-12 shots from beyond the arc in the second half (83.3 percent). Hash hit seven-of-nine three-point attempts on the night, leading Anderson with 25 points. Jones added 17 points, hitting three-of-five from beyond the arc.

In league games this season, Wingate leads the SAC in points allowed (52.8), field goal percentage (52.7 percent), field goal percentage defense (34.5 percent), three-point percentage defense (25 percent), steals (11.2) and margin of victory (21.4 points per game).
WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University, ranked as the 6th “best value” in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves nearly 2,700 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visitwww.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 

In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past six years.

Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000’s with 52 selections. Among North Carolina’s colleges and universities, Wingate’s 52 Academic All-America® honorees are tied for first (with Duke University) during this millennium. Wingate’s 61 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.