Men's Basketball | 2/3/2015 10:53:00 AM

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs play their second consecutive home game Wednesday night, hosting the Wolves of Newberry College at 8 p.m. in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs and Wolves enter the contest tied for third in the league standings. Wingate is 11-9 overall and 8-6 in the SAC, while Newberry is 14-6 overall and 8-6 in the conference. 

After suffering a pair of tough losses the previous week, Wingate cruised to an 81-44 victory over Mars Hill Saturday afternoon. All 12 Bulldogs that played scored in Saturday's game, which marked Wingate's largest margin of victory this season. The last time the Bulldogs won by as much was during the 2012-13 season, when Wingate won 79-42 at Newberry and picked up a 120-72 win against Mars Hill. Terrill Hilliard led the Wingate attack Saturday with 16 points, hitting five-of-six shots from the field while grabbing five rebounds. Anthanee Doyle added 11 points on four-of-five shooting, while Ryan Daye and Xavier Griffin each contributed 10 points. Isiah Cureton filled up the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. 

The Bulldogs and Wolves meet for the first time this season. Newberry won both contests last season, prevailing 99-85 in Cuddy Arena thanks to a 26-point effort from Dondray Walker. Griffin led the Wingate attack with 19 points, while Daye contributed 15 points and five assists. The 'Dogs shot 52.5 percent from the field, but committed 22 turnovers, which led to 33 Newberry points. The Wolves won by four points in Newberry, with Walker and Demarkus Smith scoring 14 points apiece. Daye had a game-high 22 points, while Cureton added 14 points and 10 boards. 

Prior to last season, the Bulldogs had won seven straight in the Wingate-Newberry series. Five of the seven wins came by double figures, including two wins of at least 32 points. Last season was Newberry's first victory in Cuddy Arena since the 2006-07 season. Wingate has won six of the last seven meetings in Wingate. 

Daye leads the Bulldogs with 13.9 points per game. The preseason first team All-SAC selection has knocked down a team-best 38 triples this year, shooting 38.4 percent from beyond the arc. Cureton averages 10.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, adding 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. The reigning SAC Freshman of the Year ranks fifth in the league in blocks and ninth in rebounding and steals. 

Griffin is contributing 9.8 points and 3.1 assists per contest, ranking ninth in the conference in assists while shooting a team-best 40 percent from three-point range. Keith Griffin averages 7.5 points and 6.2 boards per game, ranking 11th in the SAC in rebounding while ranking fourth with 1.6 blocks per contest. Zeriq Lolar is contributing 6.4 points per game in his freshman season, ranking second on the team with 21 threes. 

Newberry enters Wednesday's contest having lost five of its last six games. The Wolves started the year 7-1 in SAC play. Newberry picked up a 96-80 win against Queens last Wednesday, but lost 81-78 at Anderson Saturday. The Wolves are scoring a league-high 93.4 points per game, which ranks third in the nation. Newberry is allowing a league-high 84 points per contest. Smith leads the Wolves and ranks sixth in the SAC with 16.6 points per game. Mitch Riggs averages 12.0 points per contest for Newberry.