Hickory, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) hit a career-high 23 points and his team shot 64 percent in the second half as the second-seeded Bulldogs defeated seventh-seeded Catawba College 65-60 in the semifinals of the 2011 Food Lion SAC tournament Saturday night in the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex.

Alexander hit 11-of-15 shots as Wingate (19-9 overall) hit 16-of-25 attempts in the pivotal second stanza. The Bulldogs will advance to play top-seed and national number 12 Lincoln Memorial University in the championship game Sunday (4 p.m. tip-off). Catawba finishes its season 13-15 overall.

Three Bulldogs contributed 12 points each Saturday: sophomore forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.), junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) and sophomore guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.). Turner had a team-high nine rebounds as he converted six-of-eight shots from the floor. Matilus was perfect off the Bulldog bench, nailing five-of-five field goal attempts.

Catawba senior guard Dominick Reid (Concord, N.C.) led the Indians with his 19 points. In the process, Reid set the Food Lion SAC tournament men’s scoring record. He concludes his illustrious career with 176 points in 11 tourney appearances. Sophomore center Lee Martin (Mt. Airy, N.C.) added 11 points in a reserve role. Martin hit three-of-four from downtown Saturday night.

Matilus hit a lay-up to put Wingate up 60-55 with 2:07 to play. Martin answered eight seconds later with his third and final triple of the night, thanks to an assist by Reid. Alexander hit a jumper with 1:26 left to push the advantage to 62-58. Reid was fouled on the other end and converted both free throws to cut the deficit to 62-60 with 1:15 to go.

The teams traded turnovers before Catawba fouled Wingate sophomore point guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) with 23 ticks on the clock. The Bulldog floor general made one of two charity tosses. Indian freshman guard Keon Moore (Colerain, N.C.) missed a potential game-tying three-pointer on the other end. Vaughn made two free throws with nine seconds remaining for the final margin.

A floater by Reid with 9:06 to play gave Catawba its first lead at 47-46. Alexander answered on the next possession to allow Wingate to regain the lead. Catawba sophomore forward Kelvin Drakeford (Charlotte, N.C.) hit two free throws to give the Indians a 49-48 edge at the 8:12 mark. Alexander hit a hoop to give Wingate a 50-49 advantage with 7:23 to go. The Bulldogs would not trail again.

In the first half, Alexander scored 11 points as Wingate built a 29-21 lead at intermission. The half was tied three times. The Bulldogs led 17-8 on a fast-break bucket by Matilus at the 10:45 mark. The nine-point lead was Wingate’s largest of the night. A three-point field goal by Martin tied the first stanza for the final time at 19-19 with 5:50 remaining, completing an 11-2 run for the Indians.

Wingate answered the Martin triple with a 10-2 run to finish the frame. Alexander had four points during the flurry as four Bulldogs contributed points to the run. Wingate shot 46.4 percent from the field in the first half (13-of-28), compared to 29.2 percent for Catawba (seven-of-24). Turner and Vaughn supported Alexander with six first-half points each. Junior guard Justin Huntley (Mooresville, N.C.) led Catawba with seven points.

The Bulldogs shot 54.7 percent for the game (29-of-53). The Indians managed only 38.8 percent (19-of-49). Wingate outrebounded Catawba 34-28. Kincaid and Matilus added seven boards each to Turner’s game-high total. Drakeford and Huntley had seven rebounds each for the Indians. Kincaid filled out his worksheet with five assists. Reid had seven helpers for Catawba.