Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University seniors Larry Staley (Charlotte, N.C.) and David Johnson (Durham, N.C.) celebrated Senior Day by leading the Bulldogs to a thrilling 66-65 South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball victory over Carson-Newman College Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena.

Staley led all scorers with 16 points, while Johnson added 13 points and a game-high three three-point field goals. Wingate improves to 14-13 overall and 7-9 in the SAC with the victory. Carson-Newman junior guard/forward Erwin Staten (Huntsville, Ala.) led the Eagles with 12 points. Carson-Newman is 10-17 overall and 5-11 in the SAC. 

Wingate’s last three SAC games were decided by four total points. In addition, the Bulldogs lost their last two contests on buzzer-beating shots. Carson-Newman nearly made it three buzzer-beaters in a row, as sophomore guard Cameron Sharp (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit the front rim with a half-court at the final horn.

Basically, Staley and Johnson decided the Bulldogs would not endure another buzzer beater. “I thought Larry and David helped us in so many ways tonight,” Wingate head coach Brian Good says. “Larry was our toughest guy in the second half. David hit two huge three-point field goals…in the second half to give us a nine-point lead. Fittingly, they were very instrumental in our success tonight.”

Johnson’s two second half triples occurred on back-to-back possessions. The second trifecta put Wingate up 50-41 at the 12:27 mark. After the Eagles made one-of-two free throws, Bulldog freshman guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) made another three-pointer with 11:50 remaining to give the hosts their first double-digit lead at 53-42.

Carson-Newman missed a triple, then Wingate freshman forward Jesse Jackson (Fayetteville, N.C.) hit a jumper in the paint to make the score 55-42 with 11:06 to go in the contest. The 13-point bulge was the Bulldogs’ largest lead of the night.

The Eagles took flight, making a steady push over the next 10 minutes to get back in the ball game. A jumper by senior guard/forward Tray Okoth (Richmond, Va.) cut the C-N deficit to 62-61 at the 1:39 plateau. The Okoth hoop completed a 19-7 push by the visitors from Tennessee. Both Sharp and sophomore forward Quinche Dowdell (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) hit huge three-point field goals in the Eagles’ flurry. Six C-N scored points in the run.

Wingate freshman forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) made two free throws with 75 seconds remaining to nudge the Bulldogs’ lead to 64-61. Sharp was fouled 12 seconds later, but the 73.4 percent free throw shooter missed both tries. The Bulldogs got the rebound from the second charity miss, but immediately turned the ball back to the Eagles.

Carson-Newman capitalized, as junior center Brandon Evans (Salem, Va.) tipped in a teammate’s miss to make it a one-point game (64-63) with 46 seconds left. Wingate sophomore guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) had the answer, as he hit a floater in the lane with only 18 seconds to play. The Vaughn bucket put the Bulldogs up 66-63.

After a Wingate time-out, Sharp was fouled on a move to the hoop five seconds later. He atoned for his previous two misses by calmly sinking both charity tosses to settle the final score.

The Eagles fouled Matilus in the front court. He missed the front end of the one-and-one. Evans got the rebound for the C-N Eagles and he found a streaking Sharp making a bee-line for the other end. Sharp got a great look from 45 feet, but his desperation heave was short. As a result, the Bulldogs complete the season series sweep over the Eagles. Wingate won a 93-81 decision at Carson-Newman Jan. 13, 2010.

Alexander and Matilus added 10 points each to support their senior brethren. Matilus pulled down seven rebounds and converted two-of-five from three-point land. Wingate freshman center Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the hosts.

Dowdell had 11 points and seven rebounds off the Carson-Newman bench. The Eagle reserves outscored the Bulldog substitutes 24-17 Saturday. Both Okoth and senior guard Jordan Dixon (Clinton, Tenn.) contributed 10 points each for the visiting Eagles. Okoth had six rebounds and a team-best three assists, while Dixon pulled down four boards. Carson-Newman outrebounded Wingate 40-38.

Wingate held a slim 36-32 advantage in points in the paint. Neither team could find its shooting touch, as the Bulldogs shot 40.6 percent from the floor (26-of-64). The Eagles fared only slightly better, as Carson-Newman made 41.8 percent of its field goal attempts (23-of-55).

Johnson hit three-of-five three-point field goals to top the Bulldog charts. Wingate made six-of-15 triples (40 percent), while Carson-Newman converted only four-of-14 shots from downtown (28.6 percent). The Eagles made 15-of-26 free throws (57.7 percent), while the Bulldogs managed only eight-of-16 shooting from the charity stripe (50 percent).

Wingate will enter the Food Lion SAC tournament as the number six seed. The Bulldogs will visit Brevard College for a 7 p.m. first-round contest Wednesday night. Carson-Newman is the number seven seed; the Eagles will visit local SAC rival Tusculum College Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in another first-rounder.