Wingate, N.C.----The Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball team endured 14 lead changes and nine tie scores en route to a 68-66 NCAA Division II victory over Wingate University Thursday night in Cuddy Arena. The Rams’ bench outscored the Bulldog reserves 32-13 in the see-saw contest.
 
With the victory, WSSU remains undefeated at 6-0 overall. Wingate is 3-7 overall. The Rams are the fifth 2011 NCAA Division II tournament team Wingate has faced this year. Previously, the Bulldogs have battled Limestone, Queens (N.C.), UNC Pembroke and Lincoln Memorial.
 
Winston-Salem State junior guard Justin Glover (Siler City, N.C.) led the CIAA visitors with 13 points. WSSU junior forward Joseph Thompson (Lillington, N.C.) contributed 11 points and seven rebounds in a reserve role. Eleven Rams played and 11 Rams scored Thursday night. WSSU entered this week as one of only 14 undefeated teams in the NCAA Division II.
 
Wingate senior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) led all scorers with a season-high 26 points. The All-South Atlantic Conference performer hit nine-of-16 field goals and three-of-five three-point field goals in a team-best 34 minutes. Bulldog junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 13 points on five-of-eight shooting from the floor.
 
Glover gave WSSU a 47-38 lead with 16:42 to play when he hit a fast-break lay-up. Wingate answered with a 16-4 run, capped by transition hoop by junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) at the 10:27 mark. The Turner basket gave the host Bulldogs a 54-51 lead, their largest of the second half.
 
The two teams traded baskets, with Vaughn hitting a jumper at 6:43 to make the score 56-53 Wingate. Glover answered with a three-pointer to tie the score with 5:42 to play. Neither team led by more than two down the stretch.
 
Vaughn’s jumper gave the Bulldogs their last lead at 64-62 with 2:58 left in regulation. An inside basket by senior center Michael Bland (Charlotte, N.C.) tied the game 64-64 19 seconds later. Wingate sophomore forward Jeffrey Parker (Madison, N.C.) converted a put-back with 2:02 to go, tying the game for the ninth and final time.

Thompson hit the game-winner with 79 seconds left. Wingate had three chances to tie in the waning moments, but the possessions ended with two misses and a turnover. WSSU junior point guard Marcus Wells (Durham, N.C.) picked up a steal with two seconds to go, ending the Bulldogs’ final opportunity.
 
Winston-Salem State had 38 points in the paint, compared to 24 for Wingate. The Rams held slight advantages in points off turnovers (22-13) and second-chance points (15-12). WSSU outrebounded Wingate 39-33, with Bland’s eight rebounds topping the charts. Turner had nine caroms to lead the Bulldogs.
 
The Rams shot 43.9 percent from the field (25-of-57), while the Bulldogs hit 40.7 percent (22-of-54). Winston-Salem State hit three triples in 12 tries, while Wingate nailed five trifectas in the same number of attempts. The Bulldogs entered the contest as the SAC’s number one free throw shooting team (75.1 percent). Wingate hit only 63 percent (17-of-27) of its charity tosses Thursday. Winston-Salem State made 75 percent of its foul shots (15-of-20).
 
In the first half, Wingate led 31-26 on a free throw by Turner at the 5:37 mark. Winston-Salem State responded by scoring 11 unanswered points to end the half. A three-pointer by junior guard Kimani Hunt (Durham, N.C.) gave the Rams a 33-31 lead with 2:11 remaining. WSSU sophomore guard William Peay (Clemmons, N.C.) finished the frame with two free throws and a lay-up to give the visitors a 37-31 lead at intermission.
 
Vaughn had 15 points as the Bulldogs led by as many as six points in the first 20 minutes. The Wingate swingman made four baskets with two triples. Peay had six points, two assists and two steals for the Rams. Glover and Thompson had five points each in the first frame.

Newspaper Box Score
Winston-Salem State vs Wingate
12/15/11 7 p.m. at Wingate, N.C.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE MEN 68, WINGATE 66
WINSTON-SALEM STATE (6-0 overall)
Glover, Justin 5-10 1-3 13; Thompson, Joseph 4-10 3-4 11; Monger, LaMar 3-8 2-2 8; Peay, William 3-5 2-2 8; Bland, Michael 3-7 0-0 6; Platt, Stephon 2-8 1-1 5; Wells, Marcus 2-2 0-0 4; Ellison, Wakefield 1-1 2-2 4; Hunt, Kimani 1-3 0-0 3; Witherspoon, Chris 0-2 3-4 3; Bazemore, WyKevin 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 25-57 15-20 68.
WINGATE (3-7 overall)
Vaughn, Jaime 9-16 5-6 26; Matilus, Paidrick 5-8 1-2 13; Turman, Deion 2-6 3-4 7; Parker, Jeffrey 2-5 2-4 6; Alexander, Quan 1-5 4-6 6; Turner, Odell 2-5 1-3 5; Kincaid, Ethan 1-4 1-2 3; Carpenter, Robert 0-0 0-0 0; Lewis, Eddie 0-3 0-0 0; Tyson, Mike 0-0 0-0 0; Daye, Ryan 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 17-27 66.
Winston-Salem State...........   37   31  -   68
Wingate.......................   31   35  -   66
3-point goals--Winston-Salem State 3-12 (Glover, Justin 2-4; Hunt, Kimani 1-3; Monger, LaMar 0-3; Witherspoon, Chris 0-2), Wingate 5-12 (Vaughn, Jaime 3-5; Matilus, Paidrick 2-4; Lewis, Eddie 0-3). Fouled out--Winston-Salem State-None, Wingate-Matilus, Paidrick. Rebounds--Winston-Salem State 39 (Bland, Michael 8), Wingate 33 (Turner, Odell 9). Assists--Winston-Salem State 8 (Thompson, Joe 3; Peay, William 3), Wingate 12 (Kincaid, Ethan 6). Total fouls--Winston-Salem State 21, Wingate 18. Technical fouls--Winston-Salem State-Bazemore, WyKevin, Wingate-Matilus, Paidrick; Daye, Ryan. A-261
NCAA Division II basketball, Cuddy Arena, Wingate, N.C.