Wingate, N.C.----The Armstrong Atlantic Pirates had five players in double figures, as they defeated host Wingate University 82-74 in NCAA Division II men’s basketball action Tuesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Pirates win their season opener, improving to 1-0 on the season. The Bulldogs drop their home opener and fall to 0-3 overall.
 
Junior guard Mychal Horn (Alexandria, La.) had 24 points to lead the Armstrong attack, hitting nine-of-13 shots from the floor and all five free throws. Senior guard Keyshore Williams (Atlanta, Ga.) added 14 points for the Pirates, while junior guard Aric Miller (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and senior forward DeVon Jones (Jackson, Tenn.) added 11 points each.
 
Junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 21 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Wingate attack. The preseason All-American pulled down 10 offensive boards on the night, notching his second consecutive double-double. Junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 15 points, while junior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had 12 points for the Bulldogs.
 
Wingate came out hot, using a 14-0 run to take a 16-4 lead seven minutes into the game. Senior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) started the spurt with a three, while a dunk from sophomore forward Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) capped it. A triple from Matilus and jumper from freshman forward Mike Tyson (Kinston, N.C.) gave Wingate its largest lead of the night at 25-11 with 8:37 to go in the half.
 
Armstrong used an 11-2 run to trim the lead to five at the 4:41 mark. A triple from Horn and three-point play from Jones highlighted the spurt. The ‘Dogs responded, scoring the next eight points to push the lead back to 13 with under three minutes remaining. Matilus had four points in the flurry, including the jumper that capped it to make the score 35-22. The Pirates responded by scoring the final 11 points of the half to make it a two-point game. Senior guard Chris Vanlandingham (Hendersonville, N.C.) had five points in the spurt, including a layup seven seconds before halftime.
 
The second half would stay tight throughout. The Bulldogs went on top by four on a three from sophomore guard Robert Carpenter (Fayetteville, N.C.). Armstrong scored the next five points, taking the lead on a layup from Miller. A layup from Jones gave the Pirates a 61-57 lead with 8:18 remaining. Turner responded with a three-point play to trim the lead to one at 61-60, but Armstrong scored the next seven points, taking a 68-60 lead on a three from senior guard Grant Domsic (Orlando, Fla.) at the 6:34 mark.
 
A Horn layup gave the Pirates a 10-point advantage with six minutes to go. Wingate would not go away, getting free throws from Turner and Alexander, along with a Matilus layup to make it a five-point game with just under three minutes remaining. Smith buried a three with 1:54 to go to make it 75-72. Armstrong would go back to Horn, who knocked down a huge triple with 38 seconds remaining to push the lead back to six. Matilus hit a pair of free throws to cut it to four, but the Pirates iced the game with free throws from Horn and Williams in the final 19 seconds.
 
The Pirates shot 49 percent from the field (25-51), hitting 13-of-22 shots in the second half (59 percent). Armstrong knocked down 27-of-33 from the free throw line (81.8 percent), while forcing 16 Wingate turnovers. The Bulldogs shot 29.2 percent from the field (21-72). Wingate knocked down 28-of-32 free throws (87.5 percent), while holding a 50-33 advantage in rebounding. Wingate had 26 second-chance points on the night, compared to Armstrong’s five.
 
The Bulldogs return to action Friday, taking on Virginia Union at Johnson C. Smith. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. The Pirates host Coastal Georgia next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.