Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University men’s basketball team bolted to a 47-27 halftime lead and never looked back, taking an 86-71 South Atlantic Conference triumph over visiting Lincoln Memorial University Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. The host Bulldogs shot 58.3 percent (seven-of-12) from three-point land in the decisive first frame.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in the SAC. The LMU Railsplitters fall to 10-2 overall and 1-1 in the SAC. The Bulldogs visit Catawba College Wednesday night at 8 p.m. LMU hits the road to face Tusculum College Wednesday night at the same time.

Wingate freshman forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) topped the Bulldog charts with 16 points. He filled out his stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Sophomore guard Jaime Vaughn (McDonough, Ga.) had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior guard Larry Staley (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed 11 points and five rebounds.

For Lincoln Memorial, senior guard Stuart Miller (Harrogate, Tenn.) had 16 points and three steals. Miller hit three-of-seven attempts from three-point land. Sophomore forward Desmond Johnson (Lynch, Ky.) had 16 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Carlos Sanford (Durham, N.C.) contributed 13 points off the bench. The Bulldogs held the Railsplitters 20.2 points below their season average. Lincoln Memorial entered the game posting a conference-best 91.2 points per game.

“I must applaud our defensive effort,” Wingate head coach Brian Good says. “We were prepared to guard their (offensive) attack.”

A jumper by Wingate freshman guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) put the Bulldogs up 64-35 with 13:25 remaining in the contest. The 29-point bulge was Wingate’s biggest of the contest. The Railsplitters rallied, cutting the margin to 10 on two occasions down the stretch.

A triple by Miller cut the LMU deficit to 74-64 with 5:08 remaining. The three-point field goal completed a 17-4 flurry for the visitors. Turner hit one-of-two free throws on the next trip down the floor, giving the Railsplitters a chance to cut the margin to single digits. An LMU turnover gave the ball back to the Bulldogs. Kincaid hit a floater with 4:26 to play to make the score 77-64 Wingate. Lincoln Memorial had one more chance to cut the margin to single digits, but they could not convert.

Nine Bulldogs hit the scoring column in the first half, helping Wingate sprint to a 47-27 halftime advantage. A three-point field goal by sophomore guard Tracy Parks (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with 1:03 to go gave Wingate a 47-25 lead, its biggest of the opening frame. Redshirt senior guard/forward David Johnson (Durham, N.C.) had eight points in the first half to lead the Bulldogs. Staley and Vaughn had seven markers each.

Wingate hit 32-of-62 field goals on the evening, good enough for a 51.6 percent rate. The Bulldogs converted 55.9 percent of their first half field goal attempts (19-of-34). Wingate hit 10-of-18 three-pointers for 55.6 percent. The Bulldogs converted 17 LMU turnovers into 28 points. Wingate had 15 fast-break points, compared to two for Lincoln Memorial.

The Railsplitters shot 31 percent in the first half (nine-of-29). For the game, LMU shot 38.1 percent from the floor (24-of-63). On the boards, LMU outrebounded Wingate 40-35. Railsplitter junior forward D’Mario Curry (Detroit, Mich.) had nine rebounds, nine points and four blocked shots for the visitors. The two teams combined to block 15 shots (LMU eight, Wingate seven). Turner and sophomore forward Bradley Van Staalduinen (Pantego, N.C.) blocked three shots each for the hosts.