Jefferson City, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs trimmed a 15-point second half deficit to two in the final minute Saturday afternoon, but the Carson-Newman University Eagles held on for an 80-76 victory in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action. The Eagles wrap up the regular season 22-6 overall and 14-6 in the SAC, while Wingate falls to 14-14 overall and 11-9 in league play.

Charles Clark had 23 points to lead the Carson-Newman offense, while Grant Teichmann added 22 points on eight-of-11 shooting. Nick Rogers contributed 14 points of the Carson-Newman bench.

Senior guard Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) had 22 points to lead the Wingate attack, while junior guard Emarius Logan (Columbia, S.C.) added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, going 10-for-10 at the free throw line. Junior guard Marco Haskins (Fredericksburg, Va.) contributed 13 points, while senior forward Devarious Christian (Charlotte, N.C.) had 10 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

A Rogers three gave the Eagles a 17-4 lead eight minutes into the opening half, but a Logan three and Haskins bucket got the 'Dogs within six at the 8:04 mark. Clark's jumper three minutes later put Carson-Newman back on top by double figures. A three-point play from Quantra Taylor (Indian Land, S.C.) with 35 seconds left capped an 8-2 run that got Wingate within four, but A Rogers three in the final seconds gave the Eagles a 37-30 halftime lead.

Clark knocked down a triple four minutes into the second half to put Carson-Newman on top by 13, while a pair of free throws from Cameron Holmes made it 63-48 with 8:21 to go. A Logan three and two Christian free throws trimmed the lead to 10, while Lolar's layup made it 65-58 with 5:41 to go. Rogers buried a triple a minute later to give Carson-Newman a 12-point advantage.

The Bulldogs used a 15-4 run over the next four minutes to make it a one-point game. A Lolar three and two Lolar free throws made it a five-point game with 1:24 left, while two Logan free throws made it 73-70 with 53 seconds to go. Two more Logan free throws and a layup from Jeremy Williams (Salem, Va.) made it a one-point game with 14 seconds left. Wingate was whistled for a technical foul with 10 seconds to go and the Eagles knocked down three free throws to extend the advantage to four.

Carson-Newman shot 51 percent from the field, hitting 10-of-27 shots from three-point range (37 percent). Wingate shot 38 percent from the field, connecting on eight-of-22 shots from beyond the arc (36 percent). The Eagles held a 42-28 rebounding advantage and 10-9 edge in second-chance points, but the Bulldogs converted 18 CN turnovers into 21 points, while the 'Dogs committed just six turnovers on the day.

Wingate is back in action Wednesday night, hosting the Coker Cobras in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals at 8 p.m. on ESPN3. The Bulldogs defeated Coker twice during the regular season, including a 93-72 victory this past Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena.