Salisbury, N.C.----Wingate University senior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) scored 24 points as the visiting Bulldogs shot a season-high 61.1 percent from the field en route to a 93-71 victory over Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action Wednesday night. It is Wingate’s fifth straight victory over the Indians, who led by as many as 36 in the second half. The Bulldogs improve to 11-10 overall and 7-4 in the SAC, while Catawba falls to 5-14 overall and 2-9 in the conference.
 
Vaughn hit eight-of-15 shots from the field, including two-of-three shooting from beyond the arc to lead the Wingate attack, adding five assists and four rebounds. Senior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added 13 points, hitting all four shots from the field and all three attempts from three-point range. Junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs, who had seven players score at least eight points on the night.
 
Sophomore guard Keon Moore (Colerain, N.C.) led the Catawba attack with a game-high 26 points. Freshman center Tyrece Little (Greenville, N.C.) added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Indians.
 
Wingate built an early 12-4 lead on a triple from Vaughn. The Indians fought back, trimming the lead to two at 20-18 on back-to-back threes from Moore at the 10:29 mark. A Turner layup, followed by a dunk from sophomore forward Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) pushed the lead back to six. Another triple from Moore made it a three point contest, but the ‘Dogs scored the next 11 points to take a 14-point advantage. Junior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) started the flurry with a three, while a Turner layup and back-to-back Parker buckets put the lead in double figures. A triple from Smith gave the Bulldogs a 15-point lead with four minutes left in the half. Catawba cut the deficit to single digits when a dunk from Little made it 41-32 with 30 seconds remaining. Parker drained a free throw to put Wingate on top by 10 heading to intermission.
 
Vaughn scored 12 points in the first 5:30 of the second half to help the Bulldogs take a 15-point lead. A three-point play from Moore helped the Indians get to within 14 with 11:46 to go. The ‘Dogs responded with an emphatic 25-3 run to push the lead to 36. The spurt began with 16 unanswered points, starting with a fast break layup from Smith. He added a triple and a pair of free throws in the flurry, while a triple Vaughn made it a 30-point game. Another three from Smith pushed the lead to 34, while a jumper from junior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) made it 87-51 with 5:11 remaining.
 
The Bulldogs knocked down 33-of-54 shots on the night for their season-high field goal percentage. Wingate hit nine-of-14 shots from three-point range (64.3 percent). Catawba shot 42.9 percent from the field, while hitting five-of-13 from beyond the arc (38.5 percent). The Bulldogs converted 14 Catawba turnovers in 22 points, while the Wingate bench outscored the Indian bench 44-17. The ‘Dogs held a slim 31-29 rebounding advantage on the night, while outscoring Catawba 42-30 in the paint.
 
The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, traveling to Carson-Newman for a 4 p.m. start. Catawba travels to Lincoln Memorial Saturday for an 8 p.m. start.