Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) poured in a season-high 27 points Saturday afternoon, leading the Bulldogs to a 73-72 victory over visiting Tusculum College in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. The 'Dogs remained perfect at home this year, moving to 5-6 overall and 3-1 in the SAC. The Pioneers fall to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in league play.

Lolar hit six-of-11 shots from three-point range, adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior forward Neico Robinson (Easley, S.C.) had 16 points and six rebounds, going seven-for-10 from the field while freshman center Quantra Taylor (Indian Land, S.C.) added nine points, three boards and a block. Junior guard Marco Haskins (Fredericksburg, Va.) had eight points and four boards, while graduate student point guard Kerigan Farley (Hickory, N.C.) contributed three points, seven assists, four boards and three steals.

Donovan Donaldson had 23 of his 24 points in the second half, adding seven assists and five rebounds. Zach Hartle had 12 points and four assists, hitting four-of-six shots from beyond the arc, while Caleb Hodnett contributed 10 points.

A Hartle triple gave the Pioneers an early 11-5 advantage, but a Farley three and Taylor three-point play got the 'Dogs within one at the 12:51 mark. Wingate went on a 19-3 run, taking a 30-17 advantage with 5:19 to go. Taylor started the spurt with back-to-back buckets, while Christian added six points in the flurry and Lolar had five. A three from Hodnett got the Pioneers within eight, but a Lolar layup put the Bulldogs back up by double figures. Haskins had a steal and three at the buzzer to give Wingate a 37-24 halftime advantage.

Lolar's three extended the lead to 16 a minute into the second half, but a three from Ronnie Baylark got Tusculum within 10 at the 16:28 mark. A Haskins triple helped push the lead back to 15, but a Hodnett three sparked an 8-0 run that got TC within seven. Christian's bucket with 11:53 to go made it 53-44, but a Baylark triple and three Donaldson free throws got the Pioneers within one at the 8:57 mark. Back-to-back Donaldson layups capped a 13-0 run that gave Tusculum a 62-56 lead with 7:32 to go.

A Lolar three helped Wingate get within a point, but a Zailan Peeler layup made it 64-61 with five minutes remaining. Two Lolar free throws and a Robinson jumper put the 'Dogs back on top, while Lolar's three at the 3:53 mark made it 68-64. Hartle got the Pioneers within one with a three, but another Lolar triple gave the Bulldogs a 73-69 advantage with 1:15 remaining. Donaldson's three-point play made it a one-point game with 45 seconds to go. Tusculum had a chance to win it in the final seconds, but Donaldson's contested layup was off the mark, and Haskins cleaned up the rebound to secure the victory.

Wingate shot 46.7 percent from the field, hitting nine-of-20 shots from three-point range (45 percent). Tusculum shot 45.6 percent from the field, hitting 11-of-28 shots from beyond the arc (39.3 percent). The Bulldogs held a 34-32 rebounding advantage, with a 16-8 edge in second chance points. TC converted 12 Wingate turnovers into 19 points, with all of those points coming in the second half. The 'Dogs outscored the Pioneers 36-30 in the paint, with a 22-6 edge in the first half.

The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday, traveling to Catawba for an 11 a.m. contest.