Anderson, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start Saturday afternoon, outscoring Anderson University 43-28 in the second half en route to a 71-61 victory in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. Wingate improves to 13-4 overall and 9-4 in the SAC, while the Trojans fall to 7-9 overall and 4-8 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Anderson shot 40 percent from the field; Wingate shot 39 percent
- The 'Dogs hit seven-of-27 threes; the Trojans were three-for-17 from deep
- The Bulldogs held a 43-38 rebounding advantage and 14-2 edge in second-chance points
- Wingate scored 17 points off 17 AU turnovers
- After shooting 50 percent from the field in the first half and hitting three-of-seven threes, AU shot 30 percent in the second half, going 0-for-10 from deep
- Wingate shot 49 percent in the second half, with eight assists and just three turnovers

KEY BULLDOGS

- Jarren Cottingham had 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal, going nine-for-16 from the field
- Rashaard Pringle added 13 points on six-of-11 shooting
- Andreas Wilson contributed 11 points, knocking down three triples
- Destin Clark had nine points and seven rebounds
- Donell Nixon collected five rebounds, five assists and three steals
- Sean Elmore had six points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal

NOTES

- The 'Dogs move to 22-9 all-time against the Trojans
- Wingate is 12-2 at Anderson
- The Bulldogs have won five of the last six in the series
- Eighth 20-point effort for Cottingham this season; 31st of his career
- Third time this season he has had at least 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game
- Seventh double-digit scoring effort for Pringle this season
- Ninth time this season Wilson has knocked down at least three triples in a game
- 11th time this season Nixon has had at least five assists in a game
- He had 12 assists and just two turnovers in the two road wins this week
- The 13-4 start is the best to a season since starting the 2015-16 season 15-4

FIRST HALF

- A Myles Jenkins bucket gave the Trojans a 13-4 lead seven minutes in
- Pringle's layup pulled Wingate within seven
- James Crosby answered with a three to push the advantage to 10 at the 12:34 mark
- Quantra Taylor's dunk pulled the 'Dogs back within seven with nine minutes left
- Jalen Hillery's triple at the 7:14 mark gave AU its biggest lead of the game at 23-11
- WU answered with a 10-1 run, getting threes from Elmore and Wilson to pull within three at 24-21
- Crosby's three-point play with  2:35 remaining pushed the AU advantage back to 10
- Wingate scored the next seven, getting an Elmore three and two Cottingham layups to cut the lead to three
- Mason Carver's layup with 25 seconds left gave the Trojans a 33-28 halftime lead

SECOND HALF

- Wingate came out on fire in the second half, scoring the first 13 points
- Between the end of the first half and start of the second half, it was a 20-2 WU run
- A Cottingham three and Clark layup started the second half flurry to tie it at 33
- Buckets from Clark, Vontrez Roberts and Cotttingham put the 'Dogs on top 39-33
- Pringle's layup capped the spurt to put the Bulldogs on top by eight at the 14:06 mark
- Anderson's first field goal of the second half came at the 13:03 mark
- A Pringle bucket, followed by an and-one Pringle dunk put WU on top 48-41 with 10:50 left
- Two Collin Mills free throws with eight minutes left cut the lead to one
- Cottingham answered with a big three and layup to make it 55-51 with 6:41 remaining
- Two Roberts free throws and a Cottingham free throw put WU on top by six with five minutes left
- Two Crosby free throws pulled the Trojans within three at 59-56 with 4:40 to go
- A Pringle dunk pushed the lead to six, while Wilson's triple at the 3:53 mark made it 64-56
- Pringle added a layup to cap the 7-0 run, making it 66-56 with three minutes remaining
- A Jenkins dunk pulled the Trojans within six at the 2:31 mark, but that would be their last field goal
- Wilson's layup on the ensuing possession put the Bulldogs on top 68-60
- Clark's layup with 1:20 to go put Wingate on top by 10

UP NEXT

- Wingate finally returns home Wednesday night, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne at 7:30 p.m. in its first 2022 home game
- The 'Dogs host Carson-Newman Saturday at 4 p.m.