Mars Hill, N.C.----Mars Hill College senior guard Danny Sanders (Shelby, N.C.) netted 26 points as the Lions topped Wingate University 89-73 in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action Wednesday night in Stanford Arena. Sanders hit nine-of-15 field goals and five-of-10 three-pointers en route to his game-high performance.

Mars Hill is 9-7 overall and 4-2 in the SAC. Wingate is 10-7 overall and 3-3 in the SAC. The Bulldogs host Tusculum College Saturday at 4 p.m. The MHC Lions hit the road Saturday, visiting Lincoln Memorial University for a 4 p.m. encounter.

Sanders also posted four steals, three rebounds and two blocked shots to his statistics ledger. Senior guard Stoney Polite (Morganton, N.C.) and junior guard Dion Malachi (Shelby, N.C.) added 18 points each for the Lions. Malachi hit six-of-seven field goals and six-of-six free throws. He added a team-best seven rebounds to his portfolio Wednesday.

For Wingate, freshman forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had 13 points. Classmate and fellow Myers Park High School graduate Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and freshman forward Jesse Jackson (Fayetteville, N.C.) added eight points each for the Bulldogs.

Mars Hill took the lead for good at 7-5 and never looked back. Lion junior guard Julian Mack (Morganton, N.C.) hit a lay-up with 12:27 remaining, putting Mars Hill up 64-34. The 30-point bulge was the hosts’ biggest lead of the night.

Wingate didn’t quit, cutting the deficit to 75-55 on a Turner inside hoop with 6:46 to play. The Bulldogs could not get over the hump, as the Lions kept the margin above 20 until the waning moments. A Jackson follow dunk with 17 seconds left and a lay-up by sophomore guard Tracy Parks (St. Petersburg, Fla.) at the buzzer pulled Wingate within 16 and settled the final margin.

In the first half, Sanders put the Lions on his shoulders by posting 18 markers in 17 minutes. Sanders hit seven-of-10 field goals in the opening frame; his teammates managed only four-of-19 shooting from the floor. Wingate hit 40 percent (12-of-30) of its first half shots. Mars Hill led 42-30 at the break.

Polite picked up the scoring slack after intermission, as he scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Twenty-four players hit the scoring column, as 12 Lions and 12 Bulldogs put their names in the box score Wednesday.

Mars Hill shot 57.1 percent in the second half (16-of-28). On the evening, the Lions made 47.4 percent of their field goals (27-of-57). The hosts hit 24-of-28 free throws (85.7 percent) and 11-of-27 three-point field goals (40.7 percent). Mars Hill won the rebounding battle 40-34.

Wingate’s shooting also improved after halftime, as the Bulldogs connected on 45.5 percent of their second-half attempts (15-of-33). For the game, Wingate hit 42.9 percent from the floor (27-of-63). The Bulldogs dialed long distance twice, making two-of-10 three-point field goals (20 percent). The two teams combined for 43 turnovers (Wingate 20, Mars Hill 23).