Box Score  

Wingate, N.C.----Six different Bulldogs scored in double figures Saturday afternoon, while senior guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) just missed out on a triple-double as the Bulldogs cruised to a dominant 120-72 victory over the visiting Mars Hill College Lions in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs improve to 16-6 overall and 12-2 in the SAC, sitting alone atop the league standings with four games remaining. Mars Hill falls to 3-19 overall and 0-14 in conference play.

The 120 points scored are the most scored by the Bulldogs in the Briand Good era. It is the most points scored by Wingate since Nov. 20, 2000, when Wingate scored 124 points against Morris College. Wingate set season highs in points, field goals made (52), field goal percentage (64.2 percent), three-pointers made (9), three-point percentage (60 percent), rebounds (56), assists (32) and blocked shots (8). Wingate’s five seniors combined to score 66 points on Senior Day.

“I am glad we could send our seniors out like that,” Good says. “They are very deserving. They are five guys that have meant so much to our program and the values we live by.”

Senior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 20 points to lead the Wingate attack, going eight-of-11 from the field while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while juniors Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) contributed 13 points each. Turman was six-for-six from the field, grabbing nine boards while Parker went six-for-eight from the field. Kincaid had 12 points and a season-high 10 assists to go along with eight rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Quan Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Freshman guard Kacey Holt (Hercules, Calif.) led four Mars Hill players in double figures with 26 points, going eight-for-15 from the field while adding eight rebounds. Freshman guard Carter Wright (Roanoke, Va.) added 15 points for the Lions. Junior forward Will White (Goldsboro, N.C.) and freshman guard Jalen Witherspoon (Monroe, N.C.) contributed 13 points and 12 points, respectively.

It was Mars Hill jumping out to a quick lead, hitting three early triples to take a 9-4 advantage two minutes into the game. Wingate answered with a 19-3 run to take an 11-point lead three minutes later. A Matilus triple was followed by an Alexander bucket to put the Bulldogs on top, while Matilus added two more threes in the flurry to make it 23-12 at the 14:40 mark. A triple and a jumper from Wright got Mars Hill back within six at 25-19 with 12:30 remaining in the half.

The Bulldogs scored the next 10 points to push the advantage to 16 at the midway point. Turman started the flurry with a dunk and a layup, while Kincaid capped it with a layup. Wingate would add an 11-0 run to push the advantage to 25 at 52-27 with 4:18 to go. Sophomore guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) started the spurt with a triple, while adding a dunk to cap it. Freshman guard Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the half with a layup at the 1:21 mark to make it 58-31. White knocked down a three in the final seconds of the half, making the halftime score 58-34.

The advantage would remain over 20 the rest of the way for the Bulldogs. A 13-0 run pushed the lead to 42 at the 6:26 mark. Kincaid had five points and four assists in the spurt. Layups from Griffin and Daye with three minutes to go put the Bulldogs on top by 49. Wingate’s 58 first-half points were a season high, until the Bulldogs poured in 62 points in the second half.

Wingate was 51-for-82 from the field to shoot their season-high field goal percentage, while hitting nine-of-15 shots from three-point range. Mars Hill shot 35 percent from the field, hitting nine-of-30 shots from three-point range (30 percent).  The Bulldogs assisted on 32 of 52 field goals on the day. Wingate was dominant on the boards, out-rebounding the Lions 56-25. The ‘Dogs outscored Mars Hill 82-20 in the paint, while piling up 30 fast-break points compared to eight for the Lions. Wingate’s bench outscored the MHC bench 54-6.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, hosting Anderson at 8 p.m. The Trojans are one of three teams tied for second in the league standings at 11-3, one game behind the Bulldogs in the loss column. Mars Hill hosts Catawba Wednesday at 8 p.m.