BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) hit 17 points off the bench to lead the Bulldogs to a 66-58 South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball victory over Lenoir-Rhyne University Wednesday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Matilus hit six-of-12 field goals and three-of-five three-point field goals during the afternoon matinee.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the SAC. Lenoir-Rhyne is 2-10 overall and 1-3 in the SAC. The Bulldogs hit the road Saturday, visiting Mars Hill College for a 4 p.m. contest. The L-R Bears travel to defending SAC champion Brevard College for a 4 p.m. encounter Saturday.

Four Bulldogs hit double figures Wednesday. Sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 13 points and eight rebounds, while classmate Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had 12 points and eight boards. Wingate junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) completed the quartet with 10 points.

The Bears also had four double-digit scorers. Freshman guard/forward Allan Jones (Clemmons, N.C.) posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard/forward Bryce Hawkins (Charlotte, N.C.) had 14 points, hitting four-of-five from three-point land. L-R junior guard Kevin Davis (Charlotte, N.C.) had 11 points and five rebounds, while junior center Jeff Thomas (Chapel Hill, N.C.) contributed 10 points and four assists.

Matilus had 11 points in the first half, as the two teams battled to a 28-28 deadlock. Thomas had all 10 of his points in the opening frame. After intermission, Wingate shot 57.9 percent from the floor (11-of-19) to take the hard-fought victory. Vaughn converted an old-fashioned three-point play at the 19:32 mark, giving the hosts the lead for good at 31-28.

Two Matilus free throws put Wingate up 39-32 with 15:35 remaining. Three-pointers from Hawkins and Davis, sandwiched around a lay-up by freshman guard R.J. McClure (Canton, N.C.), cut the deficit to 41-40 with 12:07 to go.

The Bulldogs pushed the margin to 50-41 on a Vaughn free throw with 6:44 to play. The nine-point advantage was Wingate’s biggest lead for the contest. The Bears were not finished, as Hawkins nailed back-to-back trifectas to make the score 54-51 Bulldogs at the 4:37 mark.

A steal and dunk by Vaughn nudged the lead to 60-53 at the 1:42 plateau. The Bulldogs led by as many as nine in the waning moments. Alexander scored five of his 12 points in the final 50 seconds to keep the Bears at bay.

Wingate outrebounded Lenoir-Rhyne 36-29, thanks to the aforementioned eight boards each by high school teammates Turner and Alexander. Sophomore point guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) and freshman forward Jeffrey Parker (Fayetteville, N.C.) had four rebounds each. Kincaid filled out his statistical ledger with seven points and five assists. Parker had four of Wingate’s six blocked shots.

Thanks to Jones, Hawkins and McClure (seven points), the L-R bench outscored the Wingate reserves 37-22. Thomas had a team-high four helpers, while Davis supported Jones’ 10-rebound effort with five caroms of his own.