Box Score  

Greeneville, Tenn.----Wingate University junior guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) tied his career high with 35 points Saturday afternoon, leading the Bulldogs to a 98-86 victory at Tusculum College in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. Wingate improves to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the SAC, while the Pioneers fall to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

Daye scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half. The preseason All-SAC selection went 12-for-16 from the field and five-for-nine from beyond the arc. Daye has scored 35 points in two of his three contests this season. Freshman forward Isiah Cureton (Waxhaw, N.C.) had 13 of his career high 15 points in the first half, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Senior forward Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and freshman Josh Dominguez (Matthews, N.C.) contributed nine points apiece.  

Addison Flynn had 34 points to lead the Tusculum attack, going six-for-11 from three-point range. Jalen Walker added 12 points for the Pioneers, while Darius Carter and Keith Jumper contributed 11 points apiece.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 13-4 lead four minutes into the contest. Cureton had five points in the flurry, while Daye capped it with a triple. A Cureton three put the 'Dogs on top by 10 at the 11:40 mark, while free throws from Turman and freshman guard Austin Crown (Augusta, Ga.) put Wingate on top 31-16.

Tusculum trimmed the lead to nine on a Walker triple with 5:44 remaining in the half. Buckets from Parker and Dominguez pushed the advantage back to 15 with two minutes to go. Walker hit another three to make it a 12-point game, but a Turman bucket and Dominguez three-point play gave Wingate a 17-point lead. The 'Dogs led 51-34 at halftime thanks to a bucket from sophomore guard Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) with one second remaining.

The Pioneers used a 7-0 run to cut the lead to nine at 59-50 on a three-point play from Jumper with 12:49 remaining in the second half. The Bulldogs pushed the lead back to 14 on a Daye layup at the 11:03 mark. Tusculum would not go away, getting to within seven on a pair of Carter free throws with 8:37 to go. Daye answered with a triple, then added a layup and another three to put the 'Dogs on top 80-65 with six minutes to go.

Tusculum trimmed the lead to nine with 51 seconds remaining on a Carter triple. Daye answered by knocking down a pair of free throws, while a dunk from Turman made it 97-84 with 28 seconds left.

Wingate shot 55.2 percent from the field, going nine-for-19 from beyond the arc (47.4 percent). Tusculum shot 44.1 percent, going 10-for-25 from three-point range (40 percent). The 'Dogs out-rebounded Tusculum 39-29, scoring 22 second-chance points compared to Tusculum's five. The Bulldogs outscored the Pioneers 40-14 in the paint.

Wingate returns to action Tuesday, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne at 6 p.m.