Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University redshirt sophomore guard Jarren Cottingham piled up a career-high 38 points Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs hit the 100-point mark for the first time this season in a 103-93 victory over visiting Mars Hill University in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 5-7 overall and 1-5 in the SAC, while the Lions fall to 6-6 overall and 4-2 in league play.

NOTES

- First time WU has scored 100 since going for 110 at Newberry last February
- First time scoring over 100 at home since last year's season opener against Belmont Abbey
- Cottingham's 38 points are the most by a Bulldog in the Brian Good era
- Cottingham is the first Bulldog to score 30 points since Marco Haskins March of last season
- First Bulldog to score at least 35 since Ryan Daye in November of the 2013 season
- Bulldogs set their season high in points, field goals, percentage, threes made (15), assists (19) and steals (13)
- Cottingham has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season; 15 or more points eight times
- First career double-double for Jakob Dawkins
- Frankie Johnson's first career game with at least 15 points, five boards, five assists and five steals
- Fifth double-digit scoring effort for Miguel Priest; career-high nine rebounds
- The 'Dogs move to 40-17 all-time against MHU and 25-5 in Cuddy Arena
- Sixth straight win over Mars Hill

KEY STATS

- Wingate shot 49 percent from the field and hit 15-of-30 threes (50 percent)
- MHU shot 54 percent from the field and hit 15-of-26 threes (58 percent)
- The 'Dogs held a 37-35 rebounding advantage
- The Bulldogs held a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint
- WU turned 23 MHU turnovers into 24 points
- The 'Dogs were 22-for-36 at the free throw line; Mars Hill was 20-for-28

KEY BULLDOGS

- Cottingham was 13-for-23 from the field, four-for-nine from beyond the arc and eight-for-10 at the line
- Dawkins contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, adding three assists and two steals without a turnover
- Johnson had 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals with just one turnover
- Priest added 11 points, nine boards, two assists and two steals
- Francis Sio contributed eight points and three assists
- Donell Nixon also had eight points, adding three assists and two steals

FIRST HALF

- Wingate used a 17-3 run to take an 11-point lead seven minutes in
- Cottingham had eight points in the flurry with Dawkins adding six points
- Javonte Cook got MHU within five, but a triple and layup from Cottingham made it 26-16 at the 12:19 mark
- Mars Hill countered with a 13-1 run, taking a 29-27 lead on Austin Gilyard's three-point play with 8:20 left
- Johnson's three-point play put Wingate back on top, but two Ja'Shawn Brooks free throws put the Lions on top 38-37 with five minutes to go
- Cottingham scored the next seven points of the game to give the 'Dogs a six-point advantage
- A pair of Brooks free throws in the final seconds got MHU within two at 52-50 heading to halftime

SECOND HALF

- Gilyard's three got Mars Hill within a point two minutes into the second half
- The 'Dogs scored the next 12 points to take a 13-point advantage
- Cottingham started it with a layup and dunk, with Johnson adding a triple, while a Nixon three made it 69-56 at the 14:39 mark
- The Lions scored the next nine points, with a Brooks jumper making it 69-65 just two minutes later
- A Priest layup stretched the lead back to nine, but threes from Gilyard and Jamal Bryant got MHU within three
- Gilyard's layup at the seven-minute mark got the Lions within a point at 82-81
- Cottingham and Sio answered with layups to push the lead back to five, while Cottingham's layup with 3:55 left made it 89-83
- Brooks cut the lead back to five with a free throw, but the Bulldogs scored the next eight points
- Priest knocked down a big three to start the spurt, with a Johnson three-point play and Cottingham dunk capping it, making it 97-84 with 2:12 left
- Mars Hill would get no closer than nine the rest of the way

UP NEXT

- Wingate is on the road Wednesday night, traveling to Anderson for a 7:30 p.m. start
- The 'Dogs return home next Saturday, hosting UVA-Wise at 4 p.m.