Men's Basketball | 1/17/2017 2:16:00 PM

VIDEO: Queens preview with Coach Good

Charlotte, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs will put a six-game winning streak on the line Wednesday night, traveling to Charlotte to face the third-ranked Queens University Royals at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs are 9-7 overall and 6-4 in the SAC, while the third-ranked Royals are 16-0 overall and 10-0 in league play. Queens and Wingate have the longest two conference winning streaks in the SAC entering Wednesday night.

Wingate's sixth consecutive victory came Saturday afternoon, hanging on for a 76-70 home win over Anderson, getting 20 points from senior guard Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.) along with 17 points and 11 boards from sophomore guard Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.). Last Wednesday the Bulldogs rolled to a 97-82 victory over Catawba. Baez scored a career-high 30 points on eight-of-11 shooting from the field and 11-of-11 shooting at the free throw line. Doyle added 18 points, knocking down five triples while senior Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The winning streak started with a 78-56 win over Brevard before Christmas, getting 18 points and six rebounds from senior Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.). Senior Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) added 13 points and five boards while Baez contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Wingate led wire-to-wire at Mount Olive on New Year's Eve, leading by as many as 31 en route to an 84-61 win. Baez had 21 points and five assists, while freshman Jeremy Williams (Monroe, N.C.) added a career-high 13 points. The 'Dogs prevailed 99-84 at Coker, leading by as many as 24. Wingate got 22 points and 10 rebounds from Cureton, while Dominguez and Baez added 21 and 20 points, respectively. It marked the second time this season the Bulldogs have had three players score at least 20 points in a game.  

Four of Wingate's victories in the current six-game winning streak have come by a total of 75 points, with the only single-digit win other than Anderson coming on the road, a 79-77 victory at Carson-Newman. Wingate's fourth straight win over the Eagles, Baez had 21 points and six rebounds, going seven-of-11 from the field. Griffin added 16 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, while Dominguez contributed 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Wingate and Queens met three times last season, with the Bulldogs picking up a pair of wins. Wingate won 71-70 in Cuddy Arena, with Baez scoring 16 points on six-of-11 shooting, while Doyle and Cureton added 14 and 13 points, respectively. The Royals prevailed 91-75 in Charlotte, despite a 22-point effort from Baez. Wingate won 77-68 over Queens in the SAC Tournament semifinals, with six Bulldogs scoring in double figures, led by Baez's 16 points.

The Wingate offense is averaging 81.7 points per game on the year, the highest since the 2007-08 season. Wingate has scored over 90 points four times this year, after reaching the 90-point mark just three times last season. The 'Dogs lead the league in free throw percentage (75.5 percent). Six different Bulldogs are scoring over 11 points per game, with Wingate shooting 45.2 percent from the field. The 'Dogs are the only team in the SAC with six players averaging double figures on the season.

The Bulldogs are fifth in the league in scoring defense and fourth field goal percentage defense, allowing 78.4 points per game, the highest in the Brian Good era. The 'Dogs have not allowed over 73 points per game since the 2009-2010 season. Opponents are shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range against the Bulldogs this year, the highest in the SAC, while teams are knocking down 8.9 threes per contest against Wingate. Queens ranks fifth in the SAC in three-point shooting (38.7 percent), knocking down 10.1 triples per contest. Of the seven losses for the Bulldogs this season, five of the setbacks have come by a combined 15 points.

Baez leads the Bulldogs and ranks ninth in the SAC with 16.5 points per game, knocking down 27 triples while adding 6.6 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures each of the last 13 games, scoring 20 or more points eight times, including six of the last eight. Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.), Dominguez and Cureton follow with 12.3, 12.2 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Lolar has hit 23 threes, collecting 5.1 rebounds per game while handing out a team-best 40 assists. Dominguez shoots 47 percent from the field while ranking second on the team with 36 assists while Cureton leads the 'Dogs with 7.9 rebounds per contest.

Griffin averages 11.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting 58 percent from the field while leading the SAC with 2.4 blocks per contest. Doyle averages 11.1 points per game, knocking down a team-best 32 triples on 37 percent shooting while handing out 35 assists and collecting a team-best 19 steals. After hitting just eight-of-41 threes to start the year, Doyle is shooting 53.3 percent from beyond the arc over the last nine games (24-for-45).

The Royals are third in the league with 89.6 points per game, allowing a league-low 72.2 points per contest while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (39.7 percent). The 16-0 record includes an overtime win over LMU last week and an 83-79 victory at Tusculum over the weekend. Queens features a balanced attack, with seven players scoring over 7.0 points per game, led by Daniel Camps at 14.3 points per contest on 68.6 percent shooting from the field. Jalin Alexander adds 13.9 points per game, shooting 40 percent from three-point range while Todd Withers contributes 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc. Mike Davis shoots 40 percent from three-point range, averaging 12.6 points per contest, while Ike Agusi contributes 9.4 points and 4.6 assists per game.

Wingate returns home for three of its next four after Wednesday night's game. The Bulldogs host Mars Hill Saturday afternoon, then travel to Lenoir-Rhyne next Wednesday. Wingate hosts Tusculum the following Saturday, while welcoming Newberry to Cuddy Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 10 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.