Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University freshman Mike Baez (Huntersville, N.C.) poured in a career-high 25 points Wednesday night as the third-seeded Bulldogs defeated sixth-seeded Carson-Newman University 75-69 in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 21-8 overall, advancing to Saturday night's SAC Tournament semifinals against Queens. The Eagles end their season at 16-13.

"I thought Carson-Newman gave us a great shot tonight. They played hard and it took a special effort from our guys to get the win tonight," head coach Brian Good says. "I was impressed with mike, for a guy that had never played in a conference tournament, he didn't play like a freshman tonight. I thought Keith Griffin dominated the defensive end the last 10 minutes of the game." 

Baez went nine-for-14 from the field, adding 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks while notching his sixth double-double of the season. Junior forward Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) added 12 points, hitting three-of-five shots from three-point range. Sophomore guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) knocked down three-of-four shots from beyond the arc to compile nine points, while classmate Kerigan Farley (Hickory, N.C.) contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists. Junior center Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) collected four points, eight boards and five blocks.

­Sawyer Williams had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Carson-Newman attack. Charles Clark added 15 points and five boards, while Carson Brooks contributed 11 points. Josh Rogers and Mason Bates had nine points apiece, while Zack Pangallo had eight points for the Eagles.

A triple from Bates put the Eagles on top by six at the 14:32 mark, but a Lolar triple got the 'Dogs within a point one minute later. A dunk from Williams put C-N on top 15-11, but Dominguez responded with a triple, while a three from Doyle gave Wingate a 22-19 advantage.

The Eagles used a 7-0 run to take a four-point lead, with a Rogers jumper making it 26-22 at the 6:36 mark. A Williams layup put Carson-Newman on top by six, but a Griffin putback and Lolar triple got the Bulldogs back within one. A three from Clark in the final minute gave the Eagles a 38-33 halftime lead.

A Clark triple put the Eagles on top by seven in the opening minutes of the second half. A Baez jumper and two Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) free throws made it 43-40, but Pangallo stretched the lead back to six with a pair of free throws at the 16:10 mark. A Baez dunk cut the lead to two, while a Dominguez triple and Baez layup gave Wingate the lead. Dominguez buried another three to make it 54-50 with 11:53 to go.

Rogers got the Eagles within one at the 11:01 mark, but layups from Farley and McCall made it 58-53. Bates knocked down a three to make it a one-point game, but a Baez three and two Doyle free throws pushed the Wingate lead to six. Brooks cut the deficit in half with a free throw, but layups from Baez and Farley put the 'Dogs on top 67-60 with 2:34 to go. Carson-Newman cut the lead to four with 90 seconds left, but free throws from Baez, Griffin and Farley made it 75-65 with 57 seconds to go.

Wingate shot 42.6 percent from the field, hitting nine-of-20 shots from three-point range (45 percent). The Eagles, who lead the nation in field goal percentage, shot 44.6 percent from the field, hitting five-of-14 shots from beyond the arc (35.7 percent). Both teams had 36 rebounds, while Wingate converted 14 C-N turnovers into 17 points. The WU bench outscored the Carson-Newman bench 33-10.

The Bulldogs advance to the SAC Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when Wingate won its second straight SAC title. The 'Dogs will face No. 20 Queens Saturday at 8 p.m. in Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C. The Bulldogs and Royals split their regular season series, with each team winning at home.