Hickory, N.C.----The third-seed Wingate University men’s basketball team will face seventh-seeded Catawba College in the semi-finals of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex Saturday in Hickory, N.C. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. The Bulldogs have won three Food Lion SAC tournament titles.

Wingate is 18-9 overall; the Bulldogs finished in a tie for second in the conference standings, posting a 12-6 ledger in the SAC. Third-seeded Wingate won Wednesday’s Food Lion SAC tournament quarterfinal match-up 84-64 over Brevard. Wingate swept the season series over Catawba. The winner of the Wingate-Catawba contest will advance to the championship game Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.

All-SAC

Wingate sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) has been named to the All-South Atlantic Conference first team, while junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) earned second team honors, league officials announced Friday. Turner was the SAC Freshman of the Year last season, while Vaughn earns second team honors for the second straight year.

Turner leads the Bulldogs and ranks eighth in the SAC with 15.5 points per game, while his 8.3 rebounds per game are fifth-best in the conference. He is also fifth in the league with 1.65 blocks per contest and ranks 10th in field goal percentage at 51.1 percent. He has been at his best in SAC games, averaging 15.6 points and 8.7 boards per contest, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 78.7 percent from the free throw line.

Turner has notched seven double-doubles on the season, while scoring in double figures 22 times in 26 games. He has reached double figures in 18 consecutive contests, averaging 16.7 points per game in this span. Turner has scored 20 or more points seven times, including six of his last nine outings.

Turner scored a career-high 30 points, hitting 11-of-12 shots in the victory over Francis Marion, adding nine rebounds. He had 19 points on seven-of-11 shooting in the win at Catawba. Turner scored at least 22 in three consecutive league wins in February, totaling 70 points, 28 rebounds and nine blocks, while hitting 28-of-37 shots from the field and 14-of-15 free throws. He had 14 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the win over Mars Hill. Turner had 25 points, six rebounds and three blocks in Wingate’s victory over Brevard Wednesday night.

Vaughn is second on the team and 12th in the SAC with 14.0 points per game. He is second in the league, shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range, while his 82.5 percent shooting from the free throw line ranks fourth. Vaughn ranks 10th in the conference with 2.70 assists per game and 12th with 1.41 steals per contest and 1.85 triples per game. He has also been at his best in league contests, shooting 44.7 percent from three-point land, averaging 14.7 points and 2.94 assists per game.

Vaughn has scored in double figures 16 times this season, while scoring at least 20 points eight times. He scored 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting at Mount Olive. He had 24 points, knocking down all three shots from beyond the arc against Tusculum. Vaughn poured in a career-high 36 points (hitting 14-of-15 free throws) in Wingate’s win at Newberry. He scored 28 points in the home victory over Newberry, followed by a 22-point outing in the win against Mars Hill. Vaughn finished the regular season in style, notching his first career double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He hit seven-of-11 shots to score 23 points in Wednesday’s win over Brevard in the Food Lion SAC tournament quarterfinal win.

This year

Wingate won both Catawba games this season. On Wednesday, Feb. 2, Turner had 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals as the Bulldogs earned a 79-64 league victory over Catawba in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldog bench outscored the Catawba Indian reserves 29-7 to help Wingate sweep the season series.

Turner hit 11-of-15 field goal attempts and three-of-three from the charity stripe en route to his highest point output in SAC play. Bulldog sophomore guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 11 points on four-of-six shooting, while junior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) contributed 10 points.

Catawba freshman guard Keon Moore had a monster night with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Senior guard Dominick Reid had 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. The visiting Indians launched 19 three-point field goals, converting four (21.1 percent).

On Wednesday, Jan. 5, Turner and Vaughn scored 19 points each as the Bulldogs rallied for a 63-61 triumph over Catawba in Goodman Gymnasium. Catawba was led by junior guard Justin Huntley and his 17 points.

Vaughn and Turner combined to hit 14-of-21 shots Wednesday night. Turner had six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots, while Vaughn recorded three rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Smith contributed 10 points for the visitors.

Huntley hit nine-of-11 free throws en route to his team-high 17 markers for the hosts. Moore had 11 points and a game-high three three-point field goals. Sophomore guard Stuart Thomson had 10 points and eight rebounds. Moore helped the Catawba bench outscore the Wingate reserves 22-4.

SAC statistical champions

Wingate won a SAC statistical championship in team three-point field goal percentage. The Bulldogs will be recognized between the first and second semi-final games Saturday. Wingate’s honors (with numbers through Wednesday’s games) include:

Team 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Wingate, .392

Interestingly enough, nine of Wingate’s 11 active players have hit at least one three-point field goal this season. Vaughn tops the charts with 50 triples. Smith has 35.

Last nine games

Wingate is 8-1 overall in its last nine games. Turner is averaging 20.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game during this time span. The Bulldogs are averaging 77.6 points per game, while holding their opponents to 66.9 points per game during the same time period. Wingate has scored 81+ points in its last five games (all Bulldog victories).

Youth

Wingate is the only team in the Food Lion SAC Final Four without a senior on its roster. The Bulldogs (typically) start two juniors and three sophomores. In addition to Turner, Vaughn and Smith, Wingate’s starting five includes sophomore forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.), sophomore point guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.). Alexander contributes 9.2 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Smith posts 7.7 points per game, while Kincaid adds 5.8 points per game and a team-best 107 assists.

Both Smith (9.8 points per game) and Kincaid (7.6 points per game) are scoring more during Wingate’s recent 8-1 stretch. Wingate freshman forward Jeffrey Parker (Madison, N.C.) leads the Bulldogs in blocked shots with 45. Matilus is Wingate’s top-scoring reserve with 9.0 points per game. In Wingate’s last nine contests, Matilus is averaging 10.3 points per game.

NCAA Division II regional rankings*

                               Division II  Division II
                       Overall      In-Region
1. Augusta State        23-3         23-3
2. Lincoln Memorial     20-2         19-2
3. Ga. Southwestern St. 15-5         15-5
4. Queens (N.C.)        20-5         20-3
5. Limestone            20-6         20-6
6. Anderson (S.C.)      17-9         17-9
7. Clayton State        13-9         13-9
8. USC Aiken            15-9         14-9
9. Montevallo (Ala.)    15-9         14-9
10. Georgia College     15-9         15-9

* (NOTE: Records through Saturday, Feb. 26)

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on two campuses in Wingate and Matthews, North Carolina. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 38 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 47 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.