Greenwood, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs shot a season-low 33.9 percent from the field, hitting just four-of-27 shots from three-point range in a 76-59 setback at Lander University in NCAA Division II men's basketball action Tuesday night. Lander improves to 2-1 on the season, while Wingate falls to 2-3 overall.
Rahu Purdie had 22 points and five assists to lead the Lander offense, going 10-for-10 at the free throw line.
Nicklas Jonsson had 12 points, four assists and three rebounds, while
Chris Tate also contributed 12 points for the Bearcats.
Senior guard
Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) led the Bulldogs with 11 points. Senior guard
Kerigan Farley (Hickory, N.C.) had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, while junior guard
Marco Haskins (Fredericksburg, Va.) also had 10 points for the Bulldogs. Redshirt freshman center
Quantra Taylor (Indian Land, S.C.) added nine points and eight boards.
A Purdie bucket gave Lander an early 8-4 lead, but two free throws from Haskins tied it 8-8 at the 13:20 mark. The Bearcats responded with a 15-2 run, taking a 23-10 lead on a
Srdjan Ivic layup with 5:44 left in the half. A
TJ Knight layup at the 1:37 mark pushed the lead to 17, but two Farley free throws in the final seconds cut the halftime deficit 33-18.
Haskins knocked down a triple early in the second half to get the Bulldogs within 10, but Lander countered with a 16-4 run, taking a 49-27 lead on a three from Jonsson triple at the 15:05 mark. Sophomore
Charlie Hovasse (Colorado Springs, Colo.) got the 'Dogs within 15 at the 9:09 mark with a three-point play, while a Hovasse triple made it 57-45 with eight minutes remaining. Wingate would get no closer the rest of the way, with a Tate three putting Lander back on top by 20 with four minutes to go.
Lander shot 48.2 percent from the field, hitting five-of-16 shots from three-point range (31.3 percent). The Bearcats converted 13 Wingate turnovers into 18 points, while the Bulldogs held a 34-32 rebounding advantage. Wingate held a 20-7 edge in second-chance points, while Lander outscored the 'Dogs 30-24 in the paint.
The Bulldogs are back in action Friday, traveling to Florida for the Bahama House Classic in Daytona Beach. Wingate faces West Alabama Friday at 5 p.m., then either Embry-Riddle or Auburn-Montgomery on Saturday.
