From staff reports

Wingate’s men’s basketball team jumped to a 15-0 lead against Catawba and won 80-74 in the  SAC opener for both teams at Goodman Gym on Wednesday.

Senior guard Ryan Daye  had 22 points to lead Wingate  (3-0). Sophomore forward Isiah Curetonhad 18 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three assists.

Rakeen Brown scored 21 for Catawba. KJ Arrington added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jameel Taylor had 14 points and seven rebounds. Reggie Perkins scored  nine points. Troy Warren contributed eight points and five boards.

Wingate led 41-28 at halftime.

Catawba (1-2) got within five points late, but the Bulldogs  (3-0) made their  free throws.

Wingate shot 43.5 percent from the field. Catawba shot 37.1 percent from the field and made eight 3-pointers.

Catawba plays at Mars Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Wingate 80, Catawba 74

 

WINGATE (3-0)

Daye 22, Cureton 18, McCall 12, Lolar 11, K. Griffin 9, X. Griffin 8.

CATAWBA  (1-2)

Brown 21, Arrington 16, Taylor 14, Perkins 9, Warren 8, Sealey 3, Marijosius 2, Morrison 1, Henderson.

Wingate 41 39  —  80

Catawba 28 46 —  74

Catawba women

Emma Ucinski scored 20 points, including seven late free throws, to lead Catawba to a 67-55 SAC victory against Wingate on Wednesday at Goodman Gym.

Catawba (3-0, 1-0 SAC) made eight 3-pointers, with Ucinski and Bri Johnson hitting two each.

Morgan McGee had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

The Indians led 36-26 at the break.

Khadijah Brown  grabbed 10 boards for the Indians. Johnson and Zhaquondalee Greer scored 10 apiece. Ucinski and Chloe Bully had five assists each.

Catawba shot 43.3 percent to 29.3 percent for the Bulldogs.

Catawba plays at Mars Hill on Saturday afternoon.

 Catawba 67, Wingate 55

 

WINGATE (0-3)

McGee 20, Hill 9, Bonner 8, Boyd 7, Boston 5, Tricoli 3, Tomlinson 2, Hudson 1.

CATAWBA  (3-0)

Ucinski 20, Greer 10, Johnson 10, Richardson 8, S. Brown 5, Bully 5, Rogers 4, Dixon 3, K. Brown 2, Newbold, Tamasauskaite.

.

Wingate 26 29  —  55

Catawba 36 31 —  67

All-SAC football

Catawba placed six players on the All-SAC football team, with senior linebacker Jason Taylor and senior center Taylor Fender named to the first team.

Junior defensive back Mark McDaniel (South Rowan), sophomore receiver Carlos Tarrats, sophomore defensive lineman Kegan Funderburk and freshman punter Caleb Berry made the All-SAC second team.

Fender was a starter on the offensive line all 44 games of his career.  He posted eight knockdown blocks in a win over Brevard.

Taylor averaged nearly 10 tackles per game this year, leading the team and ranking second in the SAC with 106 stops in 11 games. He was in on 10 tackles for losses with a sack and four pass breakups.

Tarrats was fifth in the league with 39 receptions.

He tied for the most touchdown catches in the SAC with seven and also threw for a touchdown. Tarrats was second in the conference with 661 receiving yards.

Berry ranked second in the SAC in punting with a 38.0 average over 47 punts.

Funderburk posted 48 tackles for the Indians at nose guard. Four stops went for losses.  He broke up two passes, caused a fumble and recovered two.

McDaniel was second in the SAC with five interceptions. He returned one for a score and broke up nine aerials. McDaniel recorded six stops for losses and forced two fumbles.

Mars Hill wide receiver Dimitri Holmes was tabbed as the Offensive Player of the Year.  Lenoir-Rhyne linebacker Tanner Botts was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Keshaun Taylor of Mars Hill is the SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year, while Tusculum’s  L’Keith Brown is  the Defensive Freshman of the Year.

L-R offensive lineman Joe Ray won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and Lenoir-Rhyne’s Ian Shields picked up SAC Coach of the Year honors.

Livingstone women

The Livingstone  women’s basketball team will play in a tournament at Kentucky State on Friday and Saturday.

Livingstone will play Bluefield State on Friday at 6 p.m.

Women’s hoops

Ashia Holmes (Salisbury) scored eight points to help Belmont Abbey beat Barton 81-64 on Wednesday.

• Kelly Dulkoski (Carson) shot 2-for-2 on 3-pointers in Kennesaw State’s 77-48 loss to Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

• Shay Steele (West Rowan) scored six points for Morehead State in a 91-62 loss to Kentucky on Wednesday.

•Brielle Blaire (North Rowan) scored three points in Virginia Tech’s 60-49 win against Norfolk State on Tuesday.

Men’s hoops

Isaiah Cuthbertson (West Rowan) had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Mars Hill in a 79-67 loss to Lincoln Memorial on  Wednesday.

• Keshun Sherrill (West Rowan) scored 10 points as Georgia Regents whipped Coastal Georgia 79-59 on Wednesday.

Signers

South Rowan’s Alexandria Bare signed with UNC Pembroke’s golf program on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Salisbury’s Isabella Rusher signed with Richmond’s golf program.

West Rowan catcher Marissa Yow signed with Radford’s softball program.

South Rowan’s Beth Ann Martin signed with Catawba softball on Tuesday.

Stories on the early signers are upcoming.

Prep hoops

Carson is home against A.L. Brown today in the opener for both schools.

The games have been changed to a varsity doubleheader at Carson, starting with a girls game at 5 p.m.

Alex Allen returns to lead the Carson girls, along with seniors Sydney Huffman and Chrishona Roberson.

Aitana Grant, an All-MECKA player as a junior, is the top returning player for the Wonders.

Carson’s boys return veterans Marquez McCain, Jacob Raper and Jonathan Rucker.

Joekeem Neal and Jaylon Neal are returning standouts for the Wonders.

• Jiera Shears scored 14 points and Stacia Means had 10 as Hickory Ridge’s girls beat Cuthbertson 47-38 on Wednesday.

Local racing

Jake Ruggles Racing is teaming up with TriadSportsCoverage.com for a special edition of Sports Talk to benefit Rowan Southern Baptist Association’s food pantry.  The event is Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 6-8 p.m. at Buffalo Wild Wings, 289 George Bay Court, Concord, with the broadcast at 6:30 pm. Ruggles will be available to autograph  cards for fans before and after the broadcast.