Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs look to halt a five-game losing streak Saturday afternoon, hosting the fourth-ranked Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University at 4 p.m. in Cuddy Arena. Wingate enters the weekend 7-6 overall and 4-3 in the SAC. LMU is a perfect 13-0 on the season, with a 7-0 mark in conference play.

Wingate started the season with a 7-1 record, jumping out to a 4-0 start in league play. The Bulldogs opened conference play by winning four consecutive road games. Wingate's first SAC win was an 80-74 victory at Catawba, with senior guard Ryan Daye scoring 22 points. Sophomore forward Isiah Cureton added 18 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three assists, while freshman forward Lee McCall contributed 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.

Wingate's third conference win came at Lenoir-Rhyne in late November. Griffin had 13 points and 10 boards in the 70-58 victory, while 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 and Railsplitters have met every year since the 2005-06 season, the year before LMU joined the SAC. Lincoln Memorial leads the all-time series 12-9. The two teams have met in each of the last four SAC Tournaments. LMU defeated Wingate in the 2011 SAC title game, while Wingate knocked off LMU in the 2012 SAC Tournament semifinals. The 'Dogs defeated the Railsplitters in the 2013 SAC title game, while Lincoln Memorial defeated Wingate in the quarterfinals in 2014. LMU has won each of the last nine regular season meetings. The Bulldogs are 5-4 against Lincoln Memorial in Cuddy Arena, but the Railsplitters have won each of the last four contests. LMU went 3-0 against the Bulldogs last season, including a 79-65 victory in Cuddy Arena.

Wingate's current five-game losing streak started with a 12-point loss at No. 13 Mount Olive. The Bulldogs suffered their first conference loss and first home loss against Anderson on Dec. 20. The Trojans shot over 60 percent from the field and from three-point range, the highest field goal percentage Wingate has allowed in the Brian Good era. The 'Dogs followed with a 13-point loss at GRU Augusta, with the Jaguars going nine-for-13 from beyond the arc (69.2 percent). Carson-Newman handed the Bulldogs their second league loss of the season, becoming Wingate's third straight opponent to shoot over 50 percent in an 81-60 loss, the worst SAC defeat for the 'Dogs since the 2003-04 season. The Bulldogs fell 67-57 against Lenoir-Rhyne Wednesday night, shooting a season-low 25 percent while allowing the Bears to shoot 51.2 percent from the field.

After holding each of their first nine opponents to under 44 percent shooting from the field, the Bulldogs have allowed the opposition to shoot better than 51 percent each of the last four games. The last four opponents have shot a combined 54.5 percent from the field and 28-for-44 from three-point range (63.6 percent). The Bulldogs still rank third in the league in scoring defense, while ranking fifth in field goal percentage defense. Wingate has ranked second in field goal percentage defense two of the last three years, ranking third the other year.

Wingate's balanced attack has seven players averaging over five points per game. Daye leads the way with 14.4 points per game, shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range, knocking down a team-best 27 triples. Cureton is contributing 11.4 points per game, ranking 10th in the SAC with 6.3 rebounds per contest. Xavier Griffin averages 9.3 points per game, ranking eighth in the league with 3.1 assists per contest. Lolar is averaging 7.5 points per game this season, ranking second on the team with 16 threes. Keith Griffin is contributing 7.5 points and 6.5 boards per game, placing him eighth in the conference in rebounding.

The Railsplitters are outscoring their opponents by 23.2 points per game on the year (83.8-60.6). They lead the league in field goal percentage (51.7 percent), three-point percentage (42.5 percent) and field goal percentage defense (36.2 percent), while ranking second in points per game (83.8). Six players average over 8.5 points per game, led by Luquon Choice at 16.8 points per game, shooting 47.5 percent from three-point range while knocking down a league-best 3.7 triples per game. Lorenza Ross averages 13.2 points per contest, leading the league with 5.6 assists per game, while Curtis McMillion averages 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.

This is the second game in a stretch where the Bulldogs play four of five contests in Cuddy Arena. Wingate is on the road Wednesday, traveling to Queens for an 8 p.m. start. The 'Dogs return home next Saturday to host Tusculum at 4 p.m., while hosting Catawba the following Wednesday at 8 p.m.