Mount Olive, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs erased a 15-point deficit Saturday afternoon, taking the lead late in the second half before falling 78-75 at the University of Mount Olive in NCAA Division II men's basketball action. The Trojans improve to 8-5 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 4-6 on the season.

KEY STATS

- Mount Olive shot 48 percent from the field, hitting 10-of-31 threes (36 percent)
- Wingate shot 34 percent from the field, connecting on two-of-11 from beyond the arc (18 percent)
- The Bulldogs held a 35-26 rebounding advantage and 11-8 edge in second-chance points
- UMO was 22-for-28 at the free throw line; Wingate went 17-for-24 at the line
- The Trojans had six of the 10 steals in the contest
- The 'Dogs held a 44-24 edge in points in the paint
- The WU bench outscored the UMO bench 36-28

KEY BULLDOGS

- Miguel Priest had 14 points, five rebounds and two steals, going six-for-eight from the field
- Jarren Cottingham added 10 points
- Vontrez Roberts had nine points and eight boards
- Jakob Dawkins also had nine points for the Bulldogs
- Frankie Johnson contributed eight points, six rebounds and two assists
- Francis Sio chipped in with eight points; Rashaard Pringle had seven points

FIRST HALF

- Layups from Cottingham and Roberts gave the 'Dogs an 11-8 lead six minutes in
- UMO used an 8-2 run, taking a 23-17 lead on Michael Brown's layup at the 8:48 mark
- Sio's bucket cut the lead to four with seven minutes to go
- Two free throws and a three from Calvin Washington put the Trojans on top by 12
- Cameron Robertson knocked down a triple with 1:41 left to make it 42-27
- Sio's free throws in the final seconds got the Bulldogs within 13 heading to halftime

SECOND HALF

- A Roberts layup capped a 5-0 run that got the 'Dogs within nine at the 16:10 mark
- Alan Treakle put Mount Olive on top 52-39 with 13:56 to go
- Robinson knocked down a three to push the advantage back to 15 at the 12:37 mark
- The 'Dogs used a 16-6 run to get within five
- Dawkins had six points in the spurt, with Pringle adding five points
- Dawkins buried a three to make it 64-62 at the 5:39 mark
- Sio's layup tied it at 64
- A Matthias Caver layup with 1:37 left put UMO on top 72-70
- Johnson knocked down three free throws on the next trip to give WU a 73-72 advantage
- Robinson put UMO back on top with two free throws, but a Cottingham layup with 39 seconds left put the 'Dogs back on top by one
- Robinson knocked down a huge three with 27 seconds left to put the Trojans on top 77-75
- Wingate missed a pair of threes down the stretch as Mount Olive held on for the three-point win

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Jan. 1, traveling to Lenoir-Rhyne for a 7 p.m. start
- The 'Dogs return home Jan. 4 to host Mars Hill at 4 p.m.