Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore guards Francis Sio and Jarren Cottingham combined for 46 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field Saturday afternoon, leading the Bulldogs to a 96-84 victory over Carson-Newman University in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 8-10 overall and 4-8 in the SAC, while the Eagles fall to 7-11 overall and 4-8 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Wingate shot 47 percent from the field, hitting eight-of-22 threes (36 percent)
- Carson-Newman shot 40 percent from the field, connecting on 10-of-28 triples (36 percent)
- The Eagles held a 43-34 rebounding advantage and 17-14 edge in second-chance points
- The Bulldogs outscored CN 36-32 in the paint
- Wingate converted 16 Carson-Newman turnovers into 17 points; WU had just seven turnovers
- The 'Dogs went 34-for-40 at the free throw line (85 percent); The Eagles were 20-for-23 (87 percent)

KEY BULLDOGS

- Sio scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half, adding four rebounds and four assists on the night
- He went seven-for-eight from the field, two-for-three from long range and eight-for-eight at the line
- Cottingham added 22 points on seven-of-11 shooting from the field, adding three assists and two steals
- Miguel Priest contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, a block and an assist
- Kendrick Tucker added 11 points on seven-of-eight shooting at the free throw line
- Donell Nixon chipped in with 10 points and two assists, hitting both his threes and all four free throws
- Jakob Dawkins also had 10 points for the 'Dogs, adding four boards and two blocks

NOTES

- Wingate moves to 36-26 all-time against Carson-Newman
- The 'Dogs are 23-7 against the Eagles in Cuddy Arena
- The Bulldogs and Eagles split the season series
- Fifth time Wingate has scored at least 90 points in a game this season; 5-0 in those games
- Season high for free throws made and free throws attempted
- Third 20-point effort from Sio this season; one point off his career high
- Cottingham has scored in double figures 16 times this season
- Cottingham hits the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season
- 10th double-digit scoring effort for Priest; eighth in last nine games
- Priest has piled up 30 rebounds the last three games
- Season high 11 point for Tucker; three points away from career high

FIRST HALF

- CN took a quick 6-0 lead, knocking down two threes in the first minute
- Cottingham answered with back-to-back threes to tie it at six
- Sio's three put the Bulldogs on top 12-8 at the 16:12 mark
- Jaylen McGill knocked down a three to put CN back on top with 12:16 to go
- A Nixon triple and Quantra Taylor dunk gave the 'Dogs a 23-17 advantage at the 9:14 mark
- Buckets from Tucker and Dawkins gave Wingate a 10-point edge with 5:52 left
- Priest buried a three to put WU on top 42-29 at the 3:37 mark
- CN answered with a 15-4 run, cutting the lead to one on a McGill three with 32 seconds to go
- Nixon answered with a triple in the final seconds to give Wingate a 48-44 halftime lead

SECOND HALF

- CN tied it three minutes into the second half, but a Priest three and Cottingham layup put WU on top 56-50
- A thunderous dunk from Dawkins put Wingate on top 60-52 at the 14:49 mark
- The Eagles used a 9-0 run to take a 63-62 lead on a Luke Brenegan layup with 8:37 left
- A Dawkins bucket and two Sio free throws put the Bulldogs back on top by four at the 6:46 mark
- Trey Smith knocked down a three with 5:29 left to tie it at 72
- Priest and Dawkins answered with layups to give Wingate a 76-72 advantage a minute later
- Three Smith free throws got CN within a point, but Sio buried a huge corner three to push the lead back to four
- CN got it within four with two minutes left on an EJ Bush jumper, but WU scored the next seven
- Sio's three-point play started it, while two Tucker free throws with 56 seconds left pushed the lead to 11
- Carson-Newman would get no closer than nine the rest of the way

UP NEXT

- Wingate is at Coker Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
- The Bulldogs host Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday at 4 p.m.