Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University freshman forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) scored 21 points in his collegiate debut, leading the Bulldogs to a 94-77 victory over Armstrong Atlantic State University Sunday night in Cuddy Arena. The contest was the season opener for both teams.

Alexander hit seven-of-12 field goals and grabbed seven rebounds to fill out his statistics ledger. Classmate Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 16 points on five-of-seven shooting, while senior Larry Staley (Charlotte, N.C.) narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds off the bench.

For the visiting AASU Pirates, senior guard Patrick Shokpeka (Lawrenceville, Ga.) topped the charts with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He connected on seven-of-13 field goals. Classmate Gabriel Robinson (Augusta, Ga.) posted 15 points and four assists. Robinson hit seven-of-eight shots from the floor. The seven remaining Pirates hit only 17-of-49 attempts from the field (34.7 percent).

Wingate bolted to a 46-36 lead at halftime, thanks to the Bulldog bench outscoring the Pirate reserves 20-4. In the first half, the score was tied seven times and the lead changed hands five times. Alexander led the hosts with nine first half markers. Nine Bulldogs hit the scoring column before intermission.

The Pirates scored the first six points of the second frame to cut the deficit to 46-42. The Peach Belt Conference visitors would get no closer, as Wingate answered with a 10-0 run to push the margin back to 56-42 on a three-pointer by Matilus at the 15:17 mark. The Bulldogs would lead by as many as 24 points down the stretch.

Wingate shot exactly 50 percent from the floor (32-of-64) with a lineup consisting of five freshmen, five sophomores and two seniors. The Bulldogs outrebounded the swash-buckling Pirates 48-36, thanks to the nine boards from Staley. Wingate senior David Johnson (Durham, N.C.) got the home crowd excited with two rim-rattling dunks. Johnson’s opening night statistics file included eight points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

The Bulldogs return to the court Friday night, visiting Queens University of Charlotte for a 7:30 p.m. contest. The Pirates continue their N.C. tour, dropping by the state capitol to face Saint Augustine’s Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.