Mars Hill, N.C.----Wingate University redshirt sophomore guards Jarren Cottingham and Francis Sio combined to score 51 points Saturday afternoon, leading the Bulldogs to a 92-78 victory over Emmanuel College in NCAA Division II men's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate moves to 4-0 on the season, while the Lions fall to 0-4 overall.
KEY STATS
- Wingate shot 49 percent from the field on the afternoon
- The 'Dogs buried 13-of-23 threes (56.5 percent)
- Emmanuel shot 39 percent from the field and hit eight-of-28 threes (28.6 percent)
- The Lions held a 39-36 rebounding advantage and 13-9 edge in second-chance points
- Wingate turned 15 Emmanuel turnovers into 20 points
- The Bulldogs held a 17-0 advantage in fast-break points
- WU hit 25-of-30 free throws (83 percent); EC was 22-for-29 (76 percent)
- Wingate had 10 steals on the day while the Lions had six steals
- The 'Dogs had six of the eight blocks on the day
KEY BULLDOGS
- Cottingham had a career-high 26 points, going seven-for-12 from the field and nine-for-10 at the line
- Sio had a career-high 25 points on eight-of-13 shooting, hitting six-of-eight from beyond the arc
- Frankie Johnson added nine points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds
- Rashaard Pringle contributed seven points, seven boards, three assists, two blocks and a steal
- Kendrick Tucker had seven points and a pair of steals
FIRST HALF
- A three-point play from Pringle and Jakob Dawkins jumper put WU on top by four at the 15:44 mark
- Emerson McClung's three gave Emmanuel a 14-13 lead two minutes later
- Wingate scored the next nine points, getting five points from Sio along with a Donell Nixon triple
- Isaiah Foster's layup got the Lions back within two at the midway point of the half
- Sio knocked down two more threes to take a 30-22 lead with seven minutes to go
- Johnson's triple at the 6:36 mark pushed the lead to double figures at 35-24
- Cottingham drained back-to-back threes to make it 41-27 with 4:49 remaining
- Emmanuel scored 12 of the next 13, cutting the lead to three on Foster's free throws with 49 seconds left
- Nixon buried a three in the final seconds to give WU a 45-39 halftime advantage
SECOND HALF
- Pringle's layup pushed the lead back to nine at 52-43 five minutes into the second half
- Foster's three-point play got Emmanuel back within six at the 14:12 mark
- Wingate scored seven of the next nine, getting five more Sio points in the flurry
- Free throws from Johnson and Tucker gave the 'Dogs a 67-55 lead at the 8:45 mark
- A Vontrez Roberts layup gave Wingate its largest lead of the day at 77-60 with 5:48 remaining
- The lead would remain in double figures the rest of the way
UP NEXT
- Wingate has two more home games next week
- The Bulldogs host UNC Pembroke Wednesday at 7 p.m.
- WU opens league play next Saturday, hosting Lincoln Memorial
