Men's Basketball | 1/27/2017 1:32:00 PM

VIDEO: Tusculum preview with head coach Brian Good

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs look for their longest winning streak in 15 years on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Tusculum College to Cuddy Arena at 4 p.m. on ESPN3. Wingate enters the contest on a nine-game winning streak, posting a 12-7 overall record with a 9-4 mark in SAC play. The Pioneers are 8-11 overall and 5-8 in the conference.

"Tusculum can score, so it will put a premium on us giving a great defensive effort," head coach Brian Good says. "I think Kendall Patterson is one of the best in the league at creating his own opportunities. To make it more difficult, they have some very good shooters who will make you pay if you come off to help. Even though his numbers don't jump out at you, Chase Mounce can control the game in the paint if you let him. Coach Jones does a great job. I am sure he will have the Pioneers ready to play."

The Bulldogs have had three winning streaks of eight games over the last four seasons. Wednesday's win gave Wingate its first nine-game winning streak since the 2007-08 season. A victory Saturday would give the 'Dogs their first 10-game winning streak since the 2001-02 season, when Wingate Hall of Famer and former NBA player Junior Harrington led the Bulldogs during his senior season.

Wingate's ninth straight win came Wednesday night, outscoring Lenoir-Rhyne 45-31 in the second half en route to a 79-72 victory to complete the season sweep. Senior forward Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) led five Bulldogs in double figures with 18 points, adding six rebounds. Sophomore guard Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.) had 13 points and 10 rebounds, while senior forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) notched his fourth double-double in five games with 12 points and 11 boards. Junior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) had 11 points, while junior forward Lee McCall (Indian Land, S.C.) contributed 10 points and six rebounds, going three-for-four from the field.

Wingate's nine-game winning streak started before Christmas, a 22-point victory over Brevard. The 'Dogs rolled to an 84-61 win at Mount Olive on New Year's Eve, followed by a 99-84 victory at Coker. Wingate prevailed 79-77 at Carson-Newman, while downing Catawba 97-82 in Cuddy Arena. That was followed by a 76-70 victory over Anderson. The Bulldogs picked up a huge 71-64 victory at third-ranked Queens, handing the Royals their first loss of the season. That was followed by a 94-73 victory over Mars Hill last Saturday.

During the eight-game winning streak, Wingate is averaging 84.1 points per game, allowing just 71.0 points per contest. The 'Dogs are shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, while holding opponents to 39 percent shooting from the field. The Bulldogs are out-rebounding opponents by nine boards per game while shooting 78 percent from the free throw line.

Baez is scoring 18.0 points per game during the winning streak, shooting 57 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.), Dominguez, Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) and Cureton all average between 11.3 and 11.9 points per game during the stretch. Doyle has buried 21 triples on 40 percent shooting, while shooting 91 percent at the free throw line. Dominguez adds 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc, while Griffin shoots 60 percent from the field to go along with his 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per contest. Cureton is collecting 8.9 rebounds per game to go along with a team-best 25 assists in the stretch.

The Wingate offense is averaging 81.6 points per game on the year, the highest since the 2007-08 season. Wingate has scored over 90 points five times this year, after reaching the 90-point mark just three times last season. The 'Dogs lead the league in free throw percentage (74.5 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 and the region with six players averaging over 11 points per game this season. Wednesday night marked the 12th time this season the Bulldogs had at least four players in double figures and sixth time at least five players have scored 10 points or more.  

The Bulldogs are third in the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, allowing 77.1 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 38.5 percent from three-point range against the Bulldogs this year, the third-highest in the SAC, while teams are knocking down 8.7 threes per contest against Wingate. Of the seven losses for the Bulldogs this season, five of the setbacks have come by a combined 15 points.

The Bulldogs and Pioneers met in Tennessee in November, with Tusculum prevailing 88-85 to snap an 11-game losing streak in the Wingate-TC series. Baez had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs, while Griffin added 14 points. Cory Fagan scored 24 points to lead the Tusculum attack, hitting six-of-10 shots from three-point range. Wingate leads the all-time series 27-13, having won 11 of the last 12. The last time the Pioneers won in Cuddy Arena was in 2011, a 76-74 double-overtime affair.

Baez leads the Bulldogs and ranks 10th in the SAC with 16.1 points per game, knocking down 31 triples while adding 6.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures each of the last 16 games, scoring 20 or more points eight times. Dominguez averages 12.2 points per contest, with Lolar and Cureton at 12.0 points per game. Dominguez shoots 46 percent from the field 38 percent from beyond the arc. Lolar has knocked down 30 triples on the season, while leading the team with 47 assists.

Griffin contributes 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, leading the SAC with 2.6 blocks per contest while shooting 59.4 percent from the field. Doyle is averaging 11.2 points per game, knocking down a team-best 38 triples to go along with a team-high 22 steals. Wingate has three of the top eight free throw shooters in the league. Lolar (third), Baez (seventh) and Dominguez (eighth) all shoot above 77.5 percent.  

Tusculum snapped a four-game losing streak with an 85-70 victory over Brevard Wednesday night. Kendall Patterson leads the Pioneers with 16.2 points per game, adding 5.6 assists per contest. He leads the SAC in assists while ranking ninth in scoring. Ronnie Baylark contributes 14.3 points per game, ranking third in the SAC in three-point percentage (48.4 percent) while Fagan adds 12.5 points per contest on 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Wingate is home again Wednesday night, hosting Newberry at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs travel to Harrogate, Tenn. next Saturday to face No. 24 Lincoln Memorial at 2 p.m.

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.