Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs used a 25-9 second-half run to pick up a 66-54 victory over 20th-ranked UNC Pembroke in NCAA Division II men's basketball action Tuesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs are now 2-0 at home this year, with both wins coming against top-20 teams. Wingate opened the 2015-16 home slate with a victory over sixth-ranked Mount Olive. The 'Dogs are 4-1 on the year, while UNCP falls to 5-2 overall.

Freshman guard Mike Baez (Huntersville, N.C.) had 18 points and five rebounds to lead the Wingate attack, going five-for-10 from the field and six-of-six at the free throw line. Senior guard Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, while junior forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) contributed seven points, seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Sophomore guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) also had seven points, while junior center Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) collected 10 rebounds.

Keysheen Hinton had 10 points to lead the UNCP attack. Tyler Kordenbrock, Alex Bradley and Jihad Wright added nine points apiece, while Brandon Winford had eight points and 11 rebounds for the Braves.

A layup and two free throws from Baez gave the Bulldogs a five-point lead six minutes into the opening half. A Wright layup helped get the Braves within a point, while a put-back from Wright tied it at 12 with 8:17 remaining. A three-point play from Kordenbrock helped UNCP take a 19-14 lead with 5:11 to go in the half.

A jumper and a dunk from redshirt freshman Neico Robinson (Easley, S.C.) got Wingate back within a point, while a Baez tripled tied it one minute before halftime. A Hinton bucket with 12 seconds left gave UNC Pembroke a 28-25 halftime lead.

The Braves held a three-point lead four minutes into the second half, but Wingate would slowly begin to take over, starting with a Griffin three-point play, tying the game at 32. A Baez triple at the 13:32mark put the 'Dogs on top by three, but a Bradley bucket got UNCP back within a point with 11 minutes remaining.

Wingate had the answer, going on a 10-0 run to take an 11-point advantage. Keith Griffin started the flurry with a bucket, while layups from Xavier Griffin and Lolar pushed the lead to seven. Lolar added another layup, while a Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) bucket at the 6:25 mark made it 50-39. A Lolar tip-in at the 4:44 mark put the 'Dogs on top by 13. A Hinton layup with 2:44 to go cut the lead to eight, but an Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.) jumper and two Xavier Griffin free throws pushed the lead back to 11 with under a minute to go. Pembroke would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs shot 35.7 percent from the field, hitting just two-of-18 shots from three-point range (11.1 percent). UNCP shot 29.5 percent from the field, going nine-for-33 in the second half (27.3 percent). The Braves were two-for-15 from beyond the arc (13.3 percent). Wingate finished the night with a 45-44 rebounding advantage, while UNCP held an 18-13 edge in second chance points. The Bulldogs outscored the Braves 32-26 in the paint.

Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to Mars Hill for a 4 p.m. game. The Bulldogs return home next Tuesday, hosting Newberry at 6 p.m.