BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) and junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) combined for 48 points as the Bulldogs defeated Brevard College 84-64 in the first round of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball tournament Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs calmed the Tornados three times this season.

Wingate is 18-9 overall. The number three seed Bulldogs advance to semi-finals Saturday night at 8 p.m. Wingate will play number seven seed Catawba College (13-14 overall) at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex. Catawba upset host and number two seed Anderson (S.C.) University 85-83. The defending Food Lion SAC tournament champion BC Tornados conclude the 2010-11 campaign 13-14 overall.

Turner led all scorers with his 25 points. He added six rebounds and three blocked shots to his statistics ledger. Vaughn hit seven-of-11 field goal attempts en route to his 23-point night. The All-SAC performer topped the Bulldog charts with five assists and four steals.

Brevard senior guard Josh Roper (Charlotte, N.C.) concluded his award-winning career with 20 points and five rebounds. He hit only six-of-17 field goals Wednesday. Tornado junior guard Gaither Hendrix (Lenoir, N.C.) contributed 18 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals to the visitors’ cause.

Wingate led 42-31 at intermission, thanks to Turner’s 15 points. The Bulldogs led by as many as 29 in the second half. A free throw by sophomore guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) gave Wingate an 83-54 lead with 4:14 remaining. The final score was as close as the Tornados would get in the waning moments.

The first half featured seven ties and four lead changes. Brevard started hot, taking a 13-7 advantage on a free throw by senior forward Josh Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.) at the 14:35 mark of the first half. The six-point edge was Brevard’s biggest lead of the night.

Jordan hit another charity toss to tie the contest at 29-29 with 4:13 remaining in the first stanza. The 29-29 deadlock was the seventh and final tie of the night. Wingate finished the frame on a 13-2 run to take a 42-31 lead to the halftime locker room. Bulldog sophomore forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed six points to the concluding flurry. Brevard would get no closer after the halftime break.

Wingate shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the floor Wednesday. Brevard managed only 33.9 percent (20-of-59) shooting from the field. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Tornados 47-39, thanks to seven caroms each by Alexander and freshman forward Robert Carpenter (Fayetteville, N.C.). Jordan and sophomore guard Drew Schauss (Greens Fork, Ind.) had eight rebounds each for the visitors.