Jefferson City, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs trimmed a 24-point second half deficit down to five Monday night, but Carson-Newman University held on for a 64-57 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2021 South Atlantic Conference men's basketball tournament. The Eagles improve to 14-5 overall, while the Bulldogs end their season at 11-9.
KEY STATS
- Carson-Newman shot 44 percent from the field; Wingate shot 31 percent
- The 'Dogs were 10-for-25 from three-point range (40 percent); CN hit five-of-17 threes (29 percent)
- The Eagles held a 44-36 rebounding advantage and 8-6 edge in second-chance points
- Wingate turned 17 Carson-Newman turnovers into 12 points
- The Bulldogs had 10 of the 18 steals; the Eagles had 11 of the 14 blocked shots
KEY BULLDOGS
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Miguel Priest had 14 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists
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Francis Sio added 13 points, seven boards and two assists
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Kendrick Tucker contributed nine points
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Jarren Cottingham had eight points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals
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Andreas Wilson also had eight points
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Destin Clark registered five points, six rebounds and four assists
FIRST HALF
- A Cottingham three gave Wingate a 6-5 lead three minutes in
- Luke Brenegan's triple at the 12:45 mark gave the Eagles a six-point advantage
- Wilson's triple trimmed the deficit to three at 18-15
- The Eagles countered with a 21-5 run, taking a 39-20 lead on two Ryan Dyer free throws with 2:05 left
- Cottingham's layup with 33 seconds left made it 41-24 at halftime
SECOND HALF
- A Bryant Thomas layup two minutes in put the Eagles on top by 24
- A Tucker triple and two Priest free throws trimmed the lead to 16 at 48-32
- A Sio triple with 8:42 remaining made it a 12-point game
- A Tyler Bowens bucket with 5:36 to go put the Eagles back on top by 17
- WU scored the next seven, getting a Sio three and two Priest free throws to cut the lead to 10
- Threes from Cottingham and Priest got Wingate within six at 60-54
- Another Sio triple made it a five-point game with five seconds left
- Two Tripp Davis free throws sealed the CN victory
