Wingate, N.C.----The Catawba College Indians halted Wingate's three-game winning streak Wednesday night, picking up a 78-62 victory in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. The Indians improve to 12-15 overall and 10-11 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 19-8 overall and 15-6 in the conference.

Jameel Taylor had 27 points and six rebounds to lead the Catawba attack, going 11-of-16 from the field while knocking down five-of-five shots from three-point range. Jerrin Morrison and Troy Warren contributed 11 points apiece, with Morrison added six rebounds and three assists. Rakeen Brown added nine points and four boards for the Indians.

Freshman Mike Baez (Huntersville, N.C.) had 20 points to lead the Wingate attack, going seven-of-14 from the field. Junior Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) added nine points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals, while sophomore Lee McCall (Indian Land, S.C.) had nine points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Wingate jumped out to an early 12-7 lead, getting a pair of threes from junior guard Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.). A bucket from Warren got the Indians within a point, while a Jeremy McLaughlin layup and Taylor triple put Catawba on top 23-18 at the 9:13 mark. Back-to-back triples from Taylor pushed the lead to 11, but a Baez layup got Wingate back within nine. A Taylor layup helped Catawba take a 36-23 lead, but a putback from Kerigan Farley (Hickory, N.C.) at the buzzer cut the halftime lead to 11 at 36-25.

Buckets from Doyle and Baez got Wingate within six at the 14:44 mark. Morrison's three-point play put the advantage back at nine, while free throws from Morrison and Warren made it 49-37 with 11:16 to go. Free throws from Baez and Farley, along with a Baez three-point play got the Bulldogs back within seven with 9:51 remaining.

Catawba countered with a quick 6-0 run, taking a 57-44 lead on a Brown triple at the 9:05 mark. Wingate scored the next six points, cutting the lead back to seven on a McCall layup with 7:50 to go. A Taylor layup and McLaughlin jumper put the Catawba lead back in double figures, while a Taylor triple with 2:54 left made it 72-59. The Bulldogs would get no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Catawba shot 46.7 percent from the field, hitting eight-of-15 shots from three-point range (53.3 percent). Wingate shot 37 percent from the field, while connecting on just three-of-20 shots from beyond the arc (15 percent). The Indians held a 41-33 rebounding advantage to go along with a 17-6 edge in second chance points. Wingate converted 12 Catawba turnovers into 18 points.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, wrapping up the regular season at 4 p.m. against Anderson in Cuddy Arena on Senior Day. Wingate has clinched a first-round home game in next week's SAC Tournament. That contest will take place Wednesday, March 2.