Men's Basketball | 2/10/2017 1:55:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are on the road Saturday afternoon, traveling to Brevard College for a 2 p.m. start in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. Winners of 12 of the last 13, the Bulldogs enter the weekend 15-8 overall and 12-5 in the SAC. The Tornados are 2-21 overall and 0-16 in league play.

"It's important that we are prepared, "head coach Brian Good says. "They are well-coached and play as hard as anyone. They provide some unique challenges on both ends. Their Princeton-style offense will expose anyone that is not ready to guard. On defense, their match-up zone is not something we see very often. We will have to work hard to get quality shots."

With five games remaining in league play, the Bulldogs find themselves alone in third place in the SAC standings at 12-5 in conference play, despite starting league play at 1-4. Wingate is three games behind first-place Queens and two games behind Lincoln Memorial. The Bulldogs have a one-game lead over fourth-place Carson-Newman and are two games up on fifth-place Catawba.

After seeing an 11-game winning streak come to an end Saturday at No. 21 Lincoln Memorial, the Bulldogs bounced back with an 86-79 victory over sixth-ranked Queens. Wingate has handed the Royals their only two losses this season. Senior forward Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) had 22 points to lead the Wingate attack, adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals, going eight-for-eight from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.) added 21 points and nine rebounds, going seven-for-seven at the free throw line. Senior forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) contributed 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) had 16 points on six-of-eight shooting from the field. Senior center Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) collected four points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

Wingate's 11-game winning streak got started in December with a 78-56 victory over Brevard in Cuddy Arena. Griffin had 18 points and six rebounds to lead the Wingate attack, going seven-of-12 from the field. Dominguez was five-for-seven from the field, collecting 13 points, five rebounds and two steals while Baez contributed 12 points and six boards. Lolar added nine points and five rebounds for the Bulldogs, who held a 44-27 rebounding advantage, with an 18-7 edge in second chance points and 40-20 edge in points in the paint. Wingate has won three straight against Brevard and 12 of the last 14 in the series.
 
The Wingate offense averages 82.3 points per game, the highest since the 2007-08 season. The Bulldogs rank third in the SAC in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. Wingate leads the league and ranks eighth nationally with 5.3 blocked shots per game. The Bulldogs rank eighth in the nation in defensive rebounding, while ranking second in the league in rebounding margin.

Wingate's balanced attack features six players averaging double figures, led by Baez's 16.3 points per game, ranking ninth in the SAC. He also averages 7.0 rebounds per game, good for 10th in the league while knocking down 36 triples. Baez has scored in double figures in each of his last 20 games. Dominguez contributes 14.6 points per contest, ranking 13th in the SAC while shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. He is averaging 24.4 points per game over the last five contests, knocking down 19 threes on 50 percent shooting. Lolar contributes 12.1 points per game, ranking second on the team with 52 assists while knocking down 36 threes.

Cureton averages 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the league in rebounding. Griffin contributes 10.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and a league-best 2.7 blocks per contest. The Allstate NABC Good Works Team honoree ranks in the top 10 in the SAC in blocks, rebounding and field goal percentage, ranking 10th nationally in blocked shots. Doyle averages 10.5 points per game, handing out a team-best 53 assists while also leading the team with 43 triples and 25 steals. Wingate shoots a league-best 75.7 percent at the free throw line, with three Bulldogs ranking in the top 10 in the league in free throw shooting. Lolar (85.3 percent) leads the SAC, with Baez (81.8 percent) and Dominguez (80 percent) ranking seventh and 10th, respectively.

Brevard enters the game on an 11-game losing streak, coming off Wednesday's 81-68 setback against Mars Hill. Stevie Williams leads the Tornados with 16.9 points per game, adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Shelby Parris adds 12.3 points per contest, while Evan Dunham contributes 10.9 points per game.

Wingate returns home for a pair of games next week, the final two home contests of the regular season. The Bulldogs host Coker Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Wingate welcomes Carson-Newman to Cuddy Arena next Saturday for Senior Day at 4 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.