Box Score

Brevard, N.C.----Five different Bulldogs scored in double figures, while senior guard Larry Staley (Charlotte, N.C.) notched his first career double-double as Wingate University defeated the Tornados of Brevard College 93-81 in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Gym. The Bulldogs improve to 12-11 overall and 5-7 in the SAC. Brevard falls to 16-7 on the year and 8-4 in the conference.

Staley had a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, while knocking down seven-of-eight free throws. Sophomore guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) added 18 points for the Bulldogs. Freshmen Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) and Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 14 and 13 points, respectively, while senior guard David Johnson (Durham, N.C.) contributed 10 points. Matilus added a team-best five assists and two steals to his line.

Brevard junior guard Josh Roper (Charlotte, N.C.) led all scorers with 22 points, while adding a team-high five assists. Senior post players Sam Carlisle (Raleigh, N.C.) and Jonathan Whitson (Clyde, N.C.) added 17 points each for the Tornados.

Brevard got back-to-back buckets from Roper to take a 16-11 lead six minutes into the game. The Bulldogs answered with a 7-0 run to take an 18-16 lead, capped by a three from sophomore guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) at the 12:25 mark.

The Tornados pushed the lead back to five on a jumper from redshirt senior guard Nathan Whitmire (Rosman, N.C.) at the 8:39 mark. Wingate battled back, regaining the lead on a three from Vaughn with 2:51 remaining in the half. Another Vaughn trifecta a minute later pushed the lead to four. A pair of Whitson free throws sliced the Wingate lead to two points heading into halftime.

After a Carlisle layup gave Brevard a 53-52 lead five minutes into the second half, Johnson nailed a three that would give the Bulldogs the lead for good at the 14:03 mark. Back-to-back three pointers from sophomore guard Michael Bilal (Chadbourn, N.C.) capped a 14-3 Wingate run, making it 65-55 midway through the second half.

A jumper from Whitson cut the lead to six at the 8:48 mark. Matilus answered with a three on Wingate’s next possession to make it a nine point game. A Roper layup got Brevard back to within eight with four minutes remaining. The Bulldogs responded with a decisive 8-0 run to put the game away. Vaughn had five points in the spurt. The lead would remain in double figures the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field on the afternoon, while knocking down 12-of-30 shots from three-point range (40 percent). The 12 three-pointers are the most for Wingate since hitting 12 in an 86-79 win over Bowie State November 30, 2008. The Bulldogs also connected on 21-of-26 free throws (80.8 percent). Brevard shot 48.3 percent from the field, while hitting only three-of-20 from beyond the arc (15 percent). Wingate held a 36-30 rebounding advantage.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, hosting Mars Hill College at 8 p.m. Brevard travels to Carson-Newman College Wednesday night for an 8 p.m. start. 

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)