Hickory, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs won their third straight conference road game Tuesday night, prevailing 70-58 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. Wingate improves to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the SAC. Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

Sophomore center Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) led the Bulldogs with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Lee McCall (Indian Land, S.C.) added 11 points on five-of-five shooting from the field, while senior guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) also had 11 points. Sophomore forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) contributed 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) had eight points, four rebounds and three assists. 

Rob Noyes had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the LRU attack. Justice Morgan added 14 points, while Will Perry contributed 10 points. Perry entered the game averaging a league-best 25.8 points per game, after scoring 37 points Saturday, but the 'Dogs held him to three-of-15 shooting from the field.

A layup from Noyes gave the Bears a 12-7 lead six minutes into the opening half. A Xavier Griffin layup and Cureton triple tied it at 12, but a Jake Wilson bucket stretched the lead back to five at 19-14 with 8:23 to go. A Xavier Griffin three helped tie it at 19 less than a minute later, but a Morgan three made it 30-23 at the 4:33 mark. A Keith Griffin layup, followed by back-to-back Terrill Hilliard (Rocky Mount, N.C.) buckets cut the lead to one, but a Billy Bales three gave the Bears a 33-29 halftime advantage.

A Perry triple gave LRU a 41-38 lead four minutes into the second half, but Wingate responded with a 16-2 run. McCall had three straight layups and a free throw in the flurry, while back-to-back Anthanee Doyle (Holly springs, N.C.) triples made it 54-43 at the 10:58 mark.

A Dalvon McDaniel layup and two Perry free throws cut the lead to six with 6:24 left, but free throws from Daye and Keith Griffin pushed the lead back to 10. A Justice layup cut the lead back to six, but buckets from Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) and Daye helped the 'Dogs take a 66-58 lead with 2:28 to go. Daye added four free throws in the final 1:50 to ice it.

Wingate shot 40 percent from the field, hitting seven-of-21 shots from three-point range (33.3 percent). LRU shot 41 percent from the field, hitting six-of-15 shots from beyond the arc (40 percent). Wingate held a 37-32 rebounding edge, while converting 14 Lenoir-Rhyne turnovers into 20 points.

Wingate is back in action Monday, stepping out of conference play to go to UNC Pembroke at 7 p.m.