Hickory, N.C.----The Wingate University  Bulldogs erased a 13-point second half deficit and had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but were unable to complete the rally, falling 75-71 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action Wednesday night. The Bears improve to 6-8 overall and 2-3 in the SAC, while Wingate falls to 7-8 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
 
Sophomore forward Allan Jones (Clemmons, N.C.) led the Bears with 20 points on the night. Senior forward D.J. Blackmon (Albemarle, N.C.) added 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Junior forward B.J. Beasley (Charlotte, N.C.) chipped in with 11 points and four boards for LRU.
 
Junior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) had 16 points on seven-of-nine shooting to lead the Wingate attack. Senior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) also had 16 points for the Bulldogs, while dishing out four assists. Junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 14 points, while sophomore forward Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
 
A jumper from sophomore center Matt Kunz (Kernersville, N.C.) capped a 13-1 run that put the Bears on top 13-5 six minutes into the opening half. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead to four on a Vaughn jumper at the 11:12 mark. Lenoir-Rhyne pushed the lead back to eight when a layup from Jones made it 26-18 with 3:42 to go. A triple from junior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.), followed by buckets from Matilus and Alexander made it a one-point game at the 1:46 mark. The Bears closed the half on a 6-0 run, taking a 40-33 lead into intermission on a layup from Jones just before the buzzer.
 
The Bears used a 6-0 run to take a 51-38 lead on a layup from Jones five minutes into the second half. The ‘Dogs answered with a 14-4 run over the next five minutes to cut the lead to three. Alexander had six points in the flurry, while Vaughn scored the last four points to make it a three-point game. Back-to-back buckets from Blackmon helped the Bears pushed the lead back to eight with seven minutes remaining.
 
A Matilus jumper, followed by a pair of Turman free throws trimmed the lead to four. Matilus buried a three to make it a one-point game with 3:28 to go. Blackmon responded with a jumper on the other end, while three LRU free throws made it 71-65 a minute later. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead back down to four on another bucket from Alexander. Wingate would then force a turnover and make it a two-point game on a Vaughn jumper with 27 seconds remaining. Turman then came up with a steal, giving the Bulldogs the ball with 21 seconds left. Lewis had a chance to tie the game, but missed a jumper with six seconds remaining. Blackmon finished the game with a layup at the buzzer.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne shot 52.5 percent from the field, but did not hit a three on the night, going 0-for-10. Wingate shot 50 percent from the field, knocking down four-of-14 shots from beyond the arc (28.6 percent). Both teams had 28 rebounds on the night, while the Bears scored 15 points off of 12 Wingate turnovers.
 
Wingate returns to action Saturday, hosting Mars Hill at 4 p.m. The Bears host Brevard Saturday at 6 p.m.