Bears Roll on the Road at Wingate
WINGATE, NC — Lenoir-Rhyne kicked off with lockdown defense in the first half and cruised to an 89-75 win at Wingate.
Junior Hodnett led the Bears with 18 points, while Conrad Luczynski and Blessin Kimble combined for 16 rebounds and three blocks.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: (RV) Lenoir-Rhyne 89, Wingate 75
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne 9-3 (4-1 SAC), Wingate 5-4 (1-3 SAC)
Location: Cuddy Arena, Wingate, NC
STORY OF THE GAME:
- The Bears smothered Wingate early, holding the Bulldogs to two points through the first seven minutes and jumping ahead 7-2.
- Julian Dozier found Akili Evans for a thunderous alley-oop that stretched the lead to 19-7 with eight minutes left in the half.
- Rogelio Rivera drilled back-to-back three-pointers before halftime, giving Lenoir-Rhyne a 49-24 edge at the break.
- Lenoir-Rhyne shot efficiently in the opening half, converting 16-of-25 from the field (64.0%) and 6-of-11 from three-point range (54.5%).
- Tyler Burraston connected on his first three of the night, pushing the cushion to 21 with over 14 minutes remaining.
- A Kendall Campbell dunk trimmed the margin to 72-61 with under eight minutes to play, but Evans answered with a late dunk to seal the win.
STATISTICS OF THE GAME:
- Hodnett (18), Kimble (14), Evans (11), and Sam Martin (10) all reached double figures for Lenoir-Rhyne.
- The Bears finished 31-for-48 from the field (64.8%) and 10-for-18 from beyond the arc (55.6%).
- Wingate shot 25-for-63 (39.7%) overall and 6-for-25 (24.0%) from long range.
- Lenoir-Rhyne owned the glass 35-33 and led in fast-break points, 24-22.
- Amarion Savage handed out a team-high nine assists, while Hodnett collected three steals.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- This was the 81st meeting between the Bears and Bulldogs, with Lenoir-Rhyne now leading the all-time series 48-33.
- Hodnett matched his season high with 18 points for the second straight game.
- The Bears connected on at least 10 three-pointers for the third time this season.
- Luczynski has recorded at least three blocks in six straight games.
- Savage’s nine assists mark the most by a Bear in a single game this season.
- Lenoir-Rhyne has won at Wingate in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017-2018.
- Wingate’s 24 first-half points were the fewest the Bears have allowed in a half this season.
UP NEXT:
Lenoir-Rhyne returns home to Shuford for the final 2025 home game, hosting Mars Hill on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Mars Hill enters coming off a 77-60 loss at Tusculum. All Bears basketball alumni are invited to attend as a life celebration for John Lentz will take place on Sunday. Both the men’s and women’s games on Saturday will be free admission.
