Men's Basketball | 2/14/2017 1:10:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are in Cuddy Arena Wednesday night, hosting Coker College at 8 p.m. in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action on ESPN3. The Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 14 games, entering the contest 16-8 overall and 13-5 in the SAC. Coker is 7-17 overall, compiling a 4-14 league record.

"Coker really gets after you defensively," head coach Brian Good says. "They are one of the best in the league at creating turnovers. They are also a great offensive rebounding team. In our first matchup, both of those things gave us problems. We will need to be tough and smart with ball. We will also need to do a great job on the defensive glass."

With four games remaining in league play, the Bulldogs are alone in third place in the SAC standings at 13-5, despite starting league play at 1-4. Wingate is one game ahead of fourth-place Carson-Newman, who the Bulldogs host Saturday afternoon. The 'Dogs are two games behind second-place Lincoln Memorial and three games out of first place.

Wingate picked up its 13th win in 14 games Saturday afternoon at Brevard, prevailing 86-71 to complete the season sweep over the Tornados. Junior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) led the way with 23 points, hitting six-of-nine shots from beyond the arc. Senior forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) piled up 18 points and 13 boards, while seniors Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) and Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) contributed 13 points apiece, with Griffin adding 13 rebounds.

Wingate's 11-game winning streak included a 99-84 victory at Coker in January. The Bulldogs posted a season-high in points while shooting 53 percent from the field and knocking down nine-of-20 shots from beyond the arc (45 percent). Three players scored at least 20 points, led by Cureton's 22 points and 10 rebounds. Dominguez added 21 points, seven boards and three steals, while sophomore guard Mike Baez (Orlando, Fla.) contributed 20 points and six rebounds, hitting seven-of-10 shots from the field. Senior guard Anthanee Doyle (Holly Springs, N.C.) went six-for-six from the field, collecting 14 points.
 
The Wingate offense averages 82.5 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 5.2 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 16.0 points per game, ranking ninth in the SAC. He also averages 6.8 rebounds per game, good for 12th in the league while knocking down 36 triples. Dominguez contributes 14.5 points per contest, ranking 13th in the SAC while shooting 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range, good for 10th in the league. He is second on the team in assists and tied for the team lead with 44 triples. Dominguez has scored in double figures in each of the last six games, averaging 22.5 points per game in the stretch. Lolar contributes 12.5 points per game, ranking third on the team with 53 assists while knocking down 42 threes.

Cureton averages 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the league in rebounding, while averaging over a block and a steal per contest. Griffin contributes 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and a league-best 2.6 blocks per game. 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 10.2 points per game, handing out a team-best 56 assists while also leading the team with 26 steals and tying for the team lead with 44 threes. Wingate shoots a league-best 75.6 percent at the free throw line, with three Bulldogs ranking in the top eight in the league in free throw shooting. Lolar (84.4 percent) leads the SAC, with Baez (81.5 percent) and Dominguez (81.4 percent) ranking seventh and eighth, respectively.

Coker enters the game having lost four straight and nine of its last 10. The Cobras average 77.7 points per game, while allowing 88.2 points per contest, ranking 11th in the league in points allowed and 10th in field goal percentage defense, while ranking third with 9.3 steals per game. JaQuez Motley leads the Coker offense with 12.2 points per game, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. Jake Barrett contributes 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest for the Cobras.

Wingate is home again Saturday, hosting Carson-Newman on Senior Day. The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season next week, traveling to Catawba Wednesday night and Anderson next Saturday afternoon.

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.