BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) recorded his first career double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to an 87-77 South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball victory over Brevard College Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Vaughn led five Bulldogs in double figures.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 17-9 overall and 12-6 in the SAC. The Bulldogs won seven of their last eight league games to secure a tie for second place in the SAC standings (with Anderson University). Wingate earns the number three seed for the upcoming Food Lion SAC tournament. The Bulldogs will host number six seed Brevard (13-13 overall, 8-10 SAC) Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in Cuddy Arena.

Bulldog sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 14 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added 13 points. Sophomore guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and freshman guard Robert Carpenter (Fayetteville, N.C.) contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, off the Wingate bench. Carpenter hit three-of-three field goals from downtown (and four-of-four total) Saturday.

Brevard senior guard Josh Roper (Charlotte, N.C.) had 31 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists in his final regular season home appearance. Roper hit 10-of-29 field goals, including seven-of-17 from three-point land. BC junior guard Gaither Hendrix (Lenoir, N.C.) had 12 points and six assists. Classmate Vincent Dombrowski (Philadelphia, Pa.) added 11 points, while senior forward Josh Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.) posted a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Wingate hit seven-of-12 three-point field goals in the first half (58.3 percent) en route to a 41-26 halftime lead. The Bulldogs hit 53.1 percent from the floor (17-of-32) in the opening frame. A Matilus lay-up gave Wingate a 26-12 lead at the 9:53 mark. Brevard mounted a 9-2 run, capped by a Hendrix jumper at 7:12, to cut the deficit to 28-21.

The Bulldogs replied with an 11-2 flurry to push its lead to 39-23 on a Matilus jumper with 2:21 remaining. Wingate settled for a 41-26 lead at intermission. Smith had 10 points to pace Wingate in the first half. Roper posted 12 points for Brevard in the opening stanza. The Tornados shot only 27.8 percent in the first half (10-of-36).

A Vaughn three-point field goal gave Wingate a 54-34 bulge four minutes into the second half. A lay-up by sophomore guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) made the score 67-46 Bulldogs with 10:16 to play in the contest. The 21-point advantage was Wingate’s largest of the afternoon.

Brevard responded with a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 67-59 with 7:24 to go. Roper finished the flurry with back-to-back three-point field goals. Vaughn ended the Wingate drought with a traditional three-point play to nudge the lead back to 70-59 with 6:59 left.

The Tornados made a final push, as a Dombrowski triple made the score 81-74 Bulldogs with 1:55 to go. Brevard would get no closer down the stretch, as Wingate made six-of-eight free throws in the waning moments to secure the victory.

Wingate sophomore point guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) had a huge game with nine assists, seven rebounds and five points in 33 minutes played. The Bulldogs shot 56.9 percent from the floor (33-of-58) and 57.9 percent from three-point territory (11-of-19). Brevard attempted 75 field goals, hitting 26 (34.7 percent). The Tornados hoisted 37 three-point field goal attempts, converting 13 (35.1 percent).

Matilus, Carpenter and the Wingate reserves outscored the Brevard bench 29-15. The Bulldogs held a 32-12 advantage in points in the paint. Brevard outrebounded Wingate by a slight 43-37 margin. BC senior guard Whitney Galloway (Rosman, N.C.) supported Jordan’s rebounding effort with six caroms of his own.