Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs return to Cuddy Arena for the first time in nearly a month Saturday afternoon when they host the Pioneers of Tusculum College in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action at 4 p.m. Wingate is 6-5 overall and 1-0 in the SAC, while the Pioneers enter the contest 2-7 overall and 0-1 in the conference. The ‘Dogs have not played a game since Dec. 19, while not playing a home contest since Dec. 8.

In their most recent home contest, the Bulldogs defeated Johnson C. Smith 73-61, getting a dominant performance from senior forward Odell Turner. The preseason All-SAC selection piled up 19 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, just missing out on becoming the first player in Wingate history to record a 20-20 game. Senior guard Paidrick Matilus and junior forward Jeff Parker added 15 points each while the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Golden Bulls 53-29. Wingate registered 32 second chance points on the afternoon. The Bulldogs’ most recent game was at Mount Olive in mid-December, falling 83-78 to the Trojans. Sophomore guard Ryan Daye scored a career-high 22 points, going seven-of-nine from the field. Matilus added 21 points and five boards.

The Bulldogs opened conference play on the road in late November, notching a 64-62 victory at Catawba. Turner knocked down a jump hook with two seconds left to give the Bulldogs the road win, as Wingate rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final seven minutes. Turner had 15 points, nine rebounds and six steals on the night, while Matilus added 13 points for the Bulldogs.

Wingate leads the all-time series with the Pioneers 19-12, winning the last three contests. The Bulldogs won a defensive battle at Tusculum, prevailing 60-51 over the Pioneers. Matilus had 11 points for the Bulldogs. Wingate was dominant in the second matchup in Cuddy Arena, outscoring Tusculum 36-18 in the second half to notch a 63-43 victory. Senior guard Ethan Kincaid led the Bulldogs with 16 points and five assists, while Wingate held Tusculum to 28 percent shooting from the field. The Pioneers made just five field goals in the second half, shooting 23 percent.

Matilus leads the Bulldogs with 12.6 points per game on the season, shooting 51.4 percent from three-point range, good for third in the SAC. Turner is averaging 12.1 points per game, ranking second in the league with 10 rebounds per contest. Daye ranks third on the team with 8.8 points per contest, while Kincaid is averaging 6.8 points and 4.3 assists per game, good for fourth in the conference.

Tusculum snapped a six-game losing streak Wednesday night, winning 70-63 at Lees-McRae. Addison Flynn had a career-high 23 points to lead the Pioneers to the victory. Flynn leads the Pioneers with 12.4 points per game. He has knocked down 15 of the team’s 27 three-pointers on the season. Keith Jumper is right behind him with 12.2 points per contest, shooting 51.4 percent from the field. 

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.
 
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 towww.wingatebulldogs.com.