Wingate, N.C.----A share of the regular season South Atlantic Conference title will be on the line Wednesday night, when the 12th-ranked Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial come to Cuddy Arena to take on the Bulldogs in men’s basketball action at 8 p.m. Wingate enters the contest at 17-7 overall and 13-3 in the SAC. LMU is 20-4 overall and 13-3 in the conference. The winner will clinch at least a share of the regular season conference title.

“They are the number two team in the region and a top-20 team in the country,” head coach Brian Good says. “We know it will take a great effort on our part.”

Wingate has won five of its last six, including an 88-87 overtime victory Saturday at Brevard. With the Bulldogs trailing by two in overtime, senior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) knocked down a three at the buzzer to give Wingate the thrilling victory. Sophomore guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) had 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting to lead the Wingate attack. Senior guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while senior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Bulldogs dropped a tough 76-73 decision last Wednesday against Anderson. The Trojans shot 56 percent from the field while also hitting 10-of-17 shots from beyond the arc. Junior center Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 17 points on eight-of-10 shooting to lead the Wingate attack, while Matilus added 16 points. Daye and senior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed 13 points each.

In the contest before the Anderson game, Wingate celebrated Senior Day in style by piling up 120 points in a 48-point victory over Mars Hill. Matilus led six players in double figures with 20 points, as Wingate scored its most points since scoring 124 in 2000. Turner added 18 points and 10 boards, while Kincaid piled up 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Turman and junior forward Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) contributed 13 points each, combining to go 12-for-14 from the field. The Bulldogs set season highs in points, field goals made (52), field goal percentage (64.2 percent), three-point percentage (60 percent), rebounds (56), assists (32) and blocked shots (8).

The last time the Bulldogs and Railsplitters met, LMU held on for a 60-58 victory in Harrogate. Jake Troyli had 20 points to lead the Lincoln Memorial attack, while Vincent Bailey added 17 points on eight-of-nine shooting from the field. Daye led the Bulldogs with 18 points, while Parker added 14 points. Wingate trailed by 11 in the second half, but battled back to have a chance in the final minute. Daye had an open look from three with eight seconds left, but his shot rimmed out. The Bulldogs got a pair of offensive rebounds and had a chance to tie, but could not get a shot to fall in the final seconds. The Railsplitters scored 42 points in the first half, but Wingate held them to 18 second half points on seven-of-25 shooting (28 percent).

Wingate’s balanced attack has three players scoring over 11 points per game and seven scoring more than six points per contest. Matilus leads the way with 12 points per game, while Turner is second with 11.8 points per contest. The preseason All-SAC selection is third in the league with 8.8 rebounds per game and fourth in field goal percentage (52.8 percent). He has been even better in SAC games, shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Daye is third on the team with 11.3 points per game, shooting a league-best 49.3 percent from three-point range. He is shooting 52.4 percent from the field, the best among guards in the league. His 56.8 percent shooting in SAC games ranks sixth in the conference.

Turman is averaging 8.9 points per game, while ranking fifth in the league with 7.1 rebounds per contest. He is shooting a league-best 66.2 percent from the field and has been even better during league games (68.9 percent). Kincaid is third in the SAC with 4.3 assists per game, while ranking fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio. Parker is third in the conference with 1.3 blocks per game.

Troyli leads Lincoln Memorial and ranks ninth in the SAC with 13.8 points per game. He also ranks eighth in the league with 6.5 rebounds per contest. Bailey is averaging 13.0 points per game, while ranking fourth in the conference with 7.4 rebounds per game.

In 16 conference games this season, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a total of 236 points, with a league-best average margin of victory of 14.8 points. Of Wingate’s 13 SAC wins, 11 have been double-digit victories. The Bulldogs have won six league games by more than 20 points, including two wins of more than 35 points. In SAC contests, Wingate leads the league in margin of victory, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, three-point percentage defense and points allowed. The Bulldogs ranks second in field goals per game, rebounding margin, assists, steals and blocks. 
 
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, physical therapy 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, visit www.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.