Men's Basketball | 12/19/2014 12:20:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----After opening the season with four consecutive conference road games, the Wingate University Bulldogs will play their first SAC home game Saturday afternoon, hosting Anderson University at 2 p.m. in Cuddy Arena. Wingate is 7-2 overall and 4-0 in the SAC. The Trojans are 5-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

After opening the season with a pair of home victories against Limestone and Belmont Abbey, the Bulldogs played six of their next seven games on the road. Wingate opened SAC play with an 80-74 win at Catawba, getting 22 points from senior guard Ryan Daye, along with 18 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three assists from sophomore forward Isiah Cureton. Freshman forward Lee McCall added 12 points and 11 boards.

The Bulldogs followed with an 80-59 win at Tusculum, outscoring the Pioneers 46-28 in the second half. All five starters had at least 12 points, led by Daye's 19 points. Cureton added 18 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while freshman Zeriq Lolar had 13 points. Sophomore center Keith Griffin contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Griffin had 13 points and 10 boards in the 70-58 victory at Lenoir-Rhyne. Daye and McCall added 11 points each for the Bulldogs.

Wingate moved to 4-0 in league play with a 74-60 win at Mars Hill. Daye had 18 points on seven-of-10 shooting, while Cureton added 12 points and six rebounds. Lolar also had 12 points, while junior guard Xavier Griffin contributed five points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Bulldogs beat the Trojans twice last year, winning 72-70 in overtime  at Anderson thanks to Daye's 32 points. Wingate prevailed 85-75 in Cuddy Arena, getting 15 points, five rebounds and four assists from Xavier Griffin. Wingate has won three straight against Anderson, including a 75-70 overtime win in the 2013 SAC Tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs and Trojans also met in the 2012 SAC championship game, with Wingate winning 66-59. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with Anderson 9-6.

Wingate's balanced attack has eight players averaging at least 5.5 points per game. Daye leads the way with 14.3 points per contest, shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range. The preseason first team All-SAC selection is just 20 points shy of 1,000 career points. Cureton is scoring 12.1 points per game, adding 7.1 rebounds per contest, ranking seventh in the SAC. Xavier Griffin contributes 9.8 points per game, ranking ninth in the league with 3.1 assists per game. Keith Griffin is averaging 8.3 points per contest, while ranking eighth in the conference with 7.0 rebounds per game.

Wingate ranks second in the SAC and 24th nationally in field goal percentage defense. The 'Dogs are also second in the league in scoring defense and three point percentage defense, while ranking third in scoring margin.

The Trojans enter Saturday's game having won three straight and four of their last five. Anderson's balanced attack has six players scoring over six points per contest, led by Myson Jones with 13.8 points per game, shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range and 97 percent at the free throw line (32-33). Chris Ross is averaging 13.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Anderson is 4-1 in the five games Ross has played this season. Nick Jackson contributes 10.8 points per game for the Trojans, knocking down 23 triples on the season, shooting 38.3 percent.

After Saturday's game, the Bulldogs hit the road on Dec. 31, traveling to GRU Augusta to take on the Jaguars at 2 p.m. Once 2015 starts, the Bulldogs will have 17 conference games remaining, starting Jan. 3 at Carson-Newman. 

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, ranked as the 10th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte 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 eight years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 72 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 72 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 81 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.