Box Score  

Wingate, N.C.----In a game that featured six ties, 14 lead changes and zero double-digit leads, the 12th-ranked Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University held on for a 63-60 victory at Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. LMU improves to 21-4 overall and 14-3 in the SAC, clinching at least a share of the regular season SAC title. Wingate falls to 17-8 overall and 13-4 in the conference.

Vincent Bailey had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the LMU attack. Cam Carden added 16 points, hitting three-of-five shots from beyond the arc. Dustin Craig had eight points for the Railsplitters, while Lorenza Ross registered seven points, five rebounds and four assists.

Senior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) had 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wingate attack. Sophomore guard Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) added 13 points, while senior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) contributed seven points and six rebounds.

Turner scored Wingate’s first eight points, while a Daye layup gave Wingate a 12-9 lead seven minutes into the contest. LMU scored the next seven points, taking a 16-12 advantage on a three-point play from Craig. The Bulldogs scored the next eight points, capped by a steal and a dunk from Daye to give Wingate a four-point lead with eight minutes remaining.

LMU regained the lead on a Carden three, while three Bailey free throws gave the Railsplitters a 29-24 lead with three minutes to go. Bailey knocked down two more jumpers to put LMU on top by nine with 1:12 remaining. A Turner layup, followed by a steal and a dunk from senior guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) trimmed the lead to five. Ross knocked down a jumper with nine seconds left to give LMU a 37-30 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 9-1 run, taking a 39-38 lead on a pair of Daye free throws. Jake Troyli knocked down a triple with 13:40 remaining in the game to put LMU back on top by three. Matilus answered by hitting Wingate’s only three of the contest on the next possession to tie it at 46. No team would lead by more than five the rest of the way. A layup from freshman guard Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) put the ‘Dogs on top 52-51 with 6:25 remaining.

LMU knocked down five free throws on the next two possessions to take a four-point lead. A three-point play from Carden with 2:47 to go gave the Railsplitters a 59-54 advantage. Daye hit a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game, but free throws from Bailey and Carden pushed the lead back to five in the final 30 seconds. Kincaid made a layup to get Wingate back to within three. After Troyli made one free throw, a Kincaid layup made it a two-point game with six seconds to go. Troyli went one-of-two from the line once again, giving Wingate the ball with five seconds remaining down by three. The Bulldogs were unable to connect on the final possession, giving LMU the three-point win.

Lincoln Memorial shot 41.7 percent from the field, hitting four-of-eight shots from three-point range (50 percent). Wingate shot 40.3 percent from the field, while hitting just one-of-19 shots from beyond the arc (5.3 percent). The Bulldogs had season lows in three pointers made and three-point percentage. LMU held a 39-34 rebounding advantage, while Wingate outscored Lincoln Memorial 42-24 in the paint. The ‘Dogs also had a 12-7 edge in second chance points, while converting 13 turnovers into 14 points. The Bulldogs had nine blocks on the night, led by junior center Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) with five.

Wingate returns to action Saturday, traveling to Carson-Newman for a 4 p.m. start. LMU hosts Catawba Saturday at 8 p.m.