Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs remained atop the SAC standings with an 85-77 victory over Newberry College in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 19-5 overall and 14-2 in the SAC, while Newberry falls to 5-15 overall and 4-11 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Wingate shot 48 percent from the field, going eight-for-26 from three-point range (31 percent)
- Newberry shot 46 percent from the field, connecting on nine-of-24 from deep (38 percent)
- The Bulldogs held a 33-31 rebounding advantage and 14-6 edge in second-chance points
- Wingate was 19-for-22 at the free throw line; Newberry went 16-for-18
- The 'Dogs scored 18 points off 11 NC turnovers
- Wingate had 17 assists on the night, piling up 19 fast-break points

KEY BULLDOGS

- Donell Nixon had 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals, going five-for-nine from deep
- Vontrez Roberts added 16 points and 10 boards, going five-for-eight from the field
- Josh Massey contributed 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals
- Kendall Taylor had nine points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals
- Corbin Pack also had nine points, adding a rebound and a block
- Taylor Bell registered eight points and three rebounds
- Jaden Lingo had seven points, a rebound and a steal

FIRST HALF

- Nixon's triple seven minutes in gave Wingate a 13-11 advantage
- James Lovorn put the Wolves on top by two with a layup at the 12:07 mark
- Nixon answered with a three to put the 'Dogs back on top by three
- Wingate used an 8-0 run, getting a Taylor three-point play and Pack triple to take a 26-17 lead
- Lingo's triple at the seven-minute mark pushed the WU lead to 12
- Lovorn's layup at the 5:24 mark cut the lead to six
- Nixon made it 34-25 with three free throws
- The Wolves used a 12-3 run to tie it at 37 on a Drake Downs layup with 2:27 to go
- Layups from Massey and Pack gave Wingate a four-point advantage with 1:19 remaining
- Jalen Johnson's ripple with a minute left made it 41-40

SECOND HALF

- Nixon buried a triple a minute in to the second half to stretch the lead to four
- Jumpers from Nixon and Massey made it 51-43 at the 15:06 mark
- Another Massey jumper, along with Nixon's triple made it 56-45 with 13:52 remaining
- Pack knocked down a triple two minutes later to extend the lead to 14
- Lovorn's three with 9:42 remaining cut the lead back to nine at 65-56
- Massey's three-point play a minute later pushed the lead back to 14
- Newberry used a 6-0 run to cut the lead to four at 74-70 on a Lovorn triple with 5:13 left
- Layups from Taylor and Lingo gave Wingate an eight-point advantage with 2:44 remaining
- Two free throws from Bell with 1:41 to go made it 84-75
- Newberry got no closer than seven the rest of the way

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to LMU for a 4 p.m. start in a key SAC matchup
- The Bulldogs are one game up on the Railsplitters in the SAC standings
- The 'Dogs return home Saturday, Feb. 24 to host Anderson at 4 p.m.