Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior Kendall Taylor celebrated Senior Day in style, capping a historic regular season with another monster game, capped by the go-ahead three with four seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs a 79-76 victory over Mars Hill University in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate wraps up the regular season at 12-14 overall and 11-13 in league play, earning the eight seed in next week's SAC Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.

KEY STATS

- Mars Hill shot 53 percent from the field, going eight-for-16 from three-point range (50 percent)
- Wingate shot 45 percent from the field, connecting on seven-of-29 from deep (24 percent)
- The Lions held a 31-30 rebounding advantage; Wingate had a 12-11 edge in second-chance points
- The 'Dogs scored 14 points off 14 Mars Hill turnovers
- The Bulldogs were 16-for-19 at the free throw line; the Lions went 14-for-19
- Wingate outscored Mars Hill 40-30 in the paint

KEY BULLDOGS

- Taylor had 31 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block, going 10-for-18 from the field and eight-for-nine at the line
- Finished the regular season averaging 24.6 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field and 88 percent at the line
- 20 games with at least 20 points on the season with eight games over 30 points
- Ten straight games over 20 points to cap the regular season, with over 30 in three straight including hiss 44-point outburst last Saturday
- WU-record 24.6 points per game this season; fourth-best in SAC history
- Jordan Miller added 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals, going four-for-seven from deep
- Corbin Pack had 13 points on five-of-nine shooting
- Aaron Hall added nine points and five rebounds

FIRST HALF

- A Hall dunk and Taylor triple gave Wingate an early 10-3 lead
- MHU scored the next seven, tying it at 10 on a Marvin Hires triple
- A Trip Beatty three at the 11:53 mark gave the Lions a two-point lead
- Donovan Morris's triple with nine minutes left put MHU on top 27-20
- A Hall dunk and Miller triple cut the lead to three with 6:16 remaining
- A Dinari Boykin three at the 4:13 mark gave Mars Hill a 10-point lead
- Taylor's layup two minutes later pulled the 'Dogs within six
- A Kadyn Dawkins three with 45 seconds left gave MHU a 42-31 lead
- Taylor's jumper in the final seconds cut the halftime lead to nine

SECOND HALF

- Miller's three-point play cut the lead to five less than two minutes in
- A Daniel Mayfield layup at the 16:23 mark gave the Lions a 54-40 advantage
- Miller answered with a three, while a Taylor bucket at the 13:11 mark made it 58-50
- A Hall dunk and Miller triple made it a two-point game with 10:43 to go
- Boykin's jumper at the 7:46 mark pushed the MHU lead back to eight at 65-57
- A Dallas Kendall layup with 5:21 to go gave the Lions a 70-62 lead
- A Pack layup and Taylor triple made it a three-point game with 3:25 remaining
- Two Taylor free throws a minute later made it 72-70
- Korey Davis answered with two free throws to push the lead back to four
- Two Miller free throws and a Pack layup tied it at 74 with 1:43 to go
- Derek Bradley's layup with 43 seconds remaining put the 'Dogs on top 76-74
- Two Davis free throws with 27 seconds left tied it at 76
- Taylor had the ball on the right wing, burying a step-back three with four seconds left to give WU a three-point lead
- Mars Hill's desperation attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, giving the 'Dogs the victory

UP NEXT

- Wingate is the number eight seed in the SAC Tournament
- The Bulldogs will face top-seeded Lincoln Memorial Tuesday, March 4 at 12 p.m. in the quarterfinals
- The winner will face the UVA Wise-Carson-Newman winner Thursday at 12 p.m. in the semifinals
- The championship game will take place Friday at 4 p.m.
- Every game will be held at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center