Charlotte, N.C.----Johnson C. Smith University junior guard Trevin Parks (Hickory, N.C.) had a game-high 28 points to lead the Golden Bulls to a 73-64 NCAA Division II men’s basketball victory over Wingate University Saturday night in Brayboy Gymnasium. Parks hit six-of-17 field goals (with two trifectas) and 14-of-16 free throws on the night.
 
Parks led four JCSU players in double-figure scoring as the Golden Bulls improve to 2-0 overall on the young season. Wingate junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) led the visiting Bulldogs (1-4 overall) with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Four players narrowly missed double-doubles. For Johnson C. Smith, senior guard James Otey (Roanoke, Va.) had 11 points and eight rebounds off the Golden Bull bench. Junior center Delonta Boyd (Washington, D.C.) posted 10 points and nine rebounds. JCSU junior guard Phillip Wood (Suitland, Md.) contributed 11 points.
 
For Wingate, Turner needed one rebound for his double-double. Bulldog sophomore center Jeffrey Parker (Madison, N.C.) had 10 points and eight boards. Parker collected a game-high four blocked shots. Guards Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had nine and eight points, respectively.
 
The final margin was the largest lead for either team in a game that featured nine lead changes and five ties. A free throw by Turner gave Wingate a 12-7 lead with 13:19 to go in the first half. Johnson C. Smith led 28-26 at the break, thanks to seven points each from Otey and Wood. Turner had eight points and five rebounds for the Bulldogs at intermission.
 
Both team shot 32 percent in the first half, as Wingate hit eight-of-25 from the floor and JCSU made 10-of-31. The Bulldogs hit 16-of-28 in the second stanza, good for a 57.1 percent clip. The Golden Bulls also improved after halftime, as they made 10-of-25 for a 40 percent success rate.
 
Johnson C. Smith converted 25 Wingate turnovers into 23 points. The Bulldogs scored 11 points from 11 Golden Bull mistakes. Wingate took its last lead when Matilus hit a jumper with 15:29 to go, giving the Bulldogs a 39-37 edge. Otey responded on the next trip down the floor, draining a three-point field goal to give JCSU the lead for good.