Hickory, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Football Team (5-3, 4-1) stayed in the thick of the South Atlantic Conference race with a 52-28 win over Wingate University (5-4, 4-2) Saturday afternoon at Moretz Stadium.

Redshirt freshman fullback Isaiah Whitaker (Salisbury, N.C.) led the way for the Bears with a career-high 177 yards rushing and three touchdowns as Lenoir-Rhyne snapped a six-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

Senior wide receiver Nick Stutts (Statesville, N.C.) added six receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown to spearhead a Lenoir-Rhyne attack which put up 442 yards of total offense.

L-R took control with two touchdowns early in the first quarter.? Whitaker capped the game's opening drive with a four-yard touchdown run before senior quarterback Major Herron (Kingsland, Ga.) followed with a one-yard scoring?run to give the Bears a 14-0 advantage just under five minutes into the contest.

Herron's touchdown run was set up?after Stutts blocked a Wingate punt which gave Lenoir-Rhyne the ball at the Bulldogs' five-yard line.

Wingate cut the lead to 14-10 when Richie Kazazian (Apex, N.C.) returned a fumble 66 yards for a score late in the opening stanza.

Each squad scored 12 points in the second quarter as the Bears headed into halftime with a 26-22 lead.

Wingate quarterback Cody Haffly (Locust Grove, Ga.) threw a pair of touchdown passes while Stutts caught a 21-yard touchdown reception in the second stanza.? Haffly finished with 268 yards passing and two scores in the losing effort.

A one-yard touchdown run by the Bulldogs' Josh Covington (Charlotte, N.C.) cut Lenoir-Rhyne's lead to 33-28 midway through the third quarter but Wingate couldn't get any closer.

Whitaker scored two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter while L-R tallied the game's final 19 points en route to the win.

Herron finished with 145 yards passing and a touchdown while rushing for 53 yards and two scores for the Bears.

On defense, Lenoir-Rhyne junior defensive lineman Brandon Martin (Roebuck, S.C.) had an outstanding day.? Martin sacked the Wingate quarterback for a safety, returned a?point-after-attempt for two points and forced a fumble.? Freshman linebacker Tanner Botts (Lawrenceville, Ga.) led the Bears with nine tackles as well.

For Wingate, Chris Bowden (Forsyth, Ga.) caught nine passes for 88 yards and Bryan Caffrey (Bayside, N.Y.) added seven receptions for 78 yards and a score.

Lenoir-Rhyne remains a half-game behind Mars Hill (7-2, 5-1) in the conference standings.? Mars Hill downed Tusculum by a 47-37 score on the road Saturday.

Lenoir-Rhyne hosts Newberry for Senior Day and the Bishops Trophy next Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.? Wingate returns home to take on North Greenville next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.