Mars Hill, N.C.----Wingate University senior forwards
Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) and
Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) combined to score 42 points Friday night, leading the Bulldogs to a 77-69 victory over Limestone College in the Tip-Off Challenge at Mars Hill University. Wingate starts the season 1-0, while the Saints fall to 0-1.
A preseason first team All-SAC selection, Cureton piled up 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. He had 18 points and seven rebounds in the second half. Dominguez contributed 18 points and three boards for the Bulldogs. Junior guard
Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) had 13 points, six rebounds on four assists, knocking down both attempts from three-point range. Sophomore guard
Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.) had 11 points and four boards, while senior center
Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) contributed six points, five rebounds and five blocks.
Shaq Dance poured in 31 points to lead the Limestone attack, adding 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Donovan Harris had 13 points and 18 rebounds, while
Shaun Stewart contributed seven points and four assists.
A Stewart layup gave the Saints an early 9-5 lead, but buckets from Cureton and
Lee McCall (Indian Land, S.C.) put Wingate on top by one at the 12:39 mark. A Lolar layup and Dominguez triple stretched the advantage to seven at 17-10, while another Dominguez triple made it 20-12 with 8:24 left in the half.
A layup from Harris got Limestone within five, but a Baez three made it 29-21 with four minutes left in the half. Threes from Dance and Stewart cut the lead to two, while free throws from Dance and Harris tied it at 31. A Dance dunk put Limestone on top, but Dominguez knocked down a three six seconds before halftime to give the 'Dogs a 35-33 lead at intermission.
A Griffin bucket and Dominguez three-point play helped Wingate build a five-point lead four minutes into the second half, but Limestone countered with a 15-2 run, taking a 55-47 lead on a Dance bucket with 11 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 run of their own, tying it at 55 on back-to-back threes from Cureton and Lolar. Baez answered three Limestone free throws with a three to tie it at 58, while a Cureton triple gave the 'Dogs a 61-59 advantage with 5:39 to go.
Layups from Baez and Dominguez stretched the lead to six, but
Kenny Hairston cut the lead in half with a triple at the 3:56 mark. Cureton answered with a layup and two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 69-63 lead, while another Cureton bucket pushed the lead to eight with 2:28 remaining. Limestone got back within six, but another Cureton bucket, along with free throws from Lolar and
Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.) put Wingate on top by 10 with 25 seconds left.
The Bulldogs shot 43.1 percent from the field, hitting nine-of-19 shots from three-point range (47.4 percent). Limestone shot 34.3 percent from the field, hitting nine-of-25 shots from beyond the arc (36 percent). The Saints held a 52-41 rebounding advantage, holding a 16-6 edge in second-chance points. The Bulldogs forced 14 Limestone turnovers, turning those into 10 points. Wingate outscored Limestone 36-26 in the paint.
The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, taking on Belmont Abbey at 8 p.m. on day two of the Tip-Off Challenge at Mars Hill.
