BOX SCORE

Newberry, S.C.----Wingate University junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) scored a career-high 36 points as the Bulldogs defeated Newberry College 89-78 Wednesday night in Eleazer Arena on the Newberry campus. The 36-point total is the second-highest scoring output in the South Atlantic Conference this season.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 9-6 overall and 4-3 in the SAC. Newberry falls to 6-9 overall and 1-6 in the SAC. The Bulldogs return home Saturday, hosting Brevard College at 4 p.m. Newberry entertains Catawba College Saturday at the same time.

Wingate sophomore forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had 14 points, including an eight-for-eight performance at the charity stripe. Bulldog sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) and junior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had 13 points each.

For Newberry, senior center Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla.) had 19 points. Wolves junior guard Antoni Magdos (Knoxville, Tenn.) posted 11 points, while classmate Brandon Riley (Baltimore, Md.) contributed 10 markers. Eleven different players scored for Newberry.

 In the first half, Newberry led 34-21 on a jumper by senior guard Danny Huffor (Marco Island, Fla.) at the 8:47 mark. Wingate finished the opening stanza on a 25-5 run to take a 46-39 lead at intermission. Six different Bulldogs scored in the flurry. Vaughn had 24 points at halftime, including 14 in the crucial run.

A Smith triple put Wingate up 54-43 with 17:35 to play. Smith hit three-of-three from downtown Wednesday. Two free throws by Vaughn at the 13:58 mark gave Wingate a 58-46 lead. A Turner inside hoop made the score 79-67 Wingate with 6:12 remaining. The 12-point margins were Wingate’s largest of the contest.

Predictably, Newberry did not fold the tents. Two free throws from Vaughn gave Wingate its final 12-point lead at 81-69 with 3:47 to go. The hosts tallied nine unanswered points to cut the deficit to 81-78 on a Riley lay-up with 72 seconds left.

The Bulldogs responded, as Alexander drained a 15-footer with 37 seconds to play. Alexander collected a steal on the other end. The Wolves were called for a foul and a technical foul on the same play, sending the Myers Park High School product to the line for four free throws. Alexander calmly made all four to give the visitors a nine-point bulge with 25 seconds on the clock. Vaughn hit two charity tosses six seconds later for the final margin.

Wingate hit 35-of-39 free throws Wednesday for an 89.7 percent conversion rate. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Wolves 41-31. Three Wingate players had five boards each, including sophomore guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.). In addition to his career-best rebounding total, Lewis had three points, three assists and three steals in a career-high 29 minutes played.

Vaughn will tell his grandkids about Wednesday’s game, as the All-SAC performer hit nine-of-17 field goals, four-of-seven trifectas and 14-of-15 free throws in only 25 minutes. For good measure, Vaughn contributed four rebounds and three assists to the Bulldog victory. Only Lincoln Memorial University senior forward D’Mario Curry (41 points versus Catawba Dec. 14) has scored more points in a game this season.

The 6-10 Davis had a big game for the Wolves. The University of Central Florida transfer had team-high totals of eight rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals to compliment his chart-topping 19 points. Davis hit seven-of-12 field goals. Newberry shot 46 percent (29-of-63) from the floor, while Wingate made 41.8 percent (23-of-55) of its field goal attempts. The Wolves’ bench scored 30 points, compared to 13 markers for the Bulldog reserves.