Eagles win streak stopped by Wingate, 78-64

Jefferson City, Tenn.----Wingate University junior forward Odell Turner (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore forward Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 15 points each to lead the Bulldogs Carson-Newman, 78-64, in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon. Wingate improves to 12-10 overall and 8-4 in the SAC, while Carson-Newman falls to 13-9 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

Turner went six-for-10 from the field, while adding seven rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals. Turman was six-for-nine from the field while pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds on the day. Junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 10 points, while junior guard Ethan Kincaid (Morganton, N.C.) had eight points, four assists and two steals.

Sophomore guard Ishmael Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) had 17 points, four rebounds and three assists to lead the Carson-Newman attack. Junior guard Marcellous Perez (Jacksonville, N.C.) added 14 points for the Eagles, while freshman forward Elliott Pope (Huntersville, N.C.) had 10 points.

A triple from Kincaid, followed by a three-point play from Turner put Wingate on top 25-19 with 6:19 to go in the opening half. Sophomore forward Jeff Parker (Madison, N.C.) added a pair of free throws to push the lead to eight at the four-minute mark. Perez knocked down a three to cut the lead to five, but a jumper from Turman made it 31-24 heading to intermission.

A three from Matilus gave Wingate a double-digit lead in the opening minute of the second half. A jumper from Pope cut the lead back to eight at the 15-minute mark, but buckets from Turman and junior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) made it a 12-point lead less than two minutes later.

The Bulldogs used a 14-4 run to take a 20-point lead at the 8:30 mark. Parker started the flurry with a jumper, while senior guard Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added a pair of threes in the spurt. Turner and Turman capped the run with back-to-back jumpers in the paint to make it 61-41. The Eagles would get no closer than 14 the rest of the way.

Wingate shot 48.4 percent from the field on the afternoon, hitting seven-of-21 shots from three-point range (33.3 percent). Carson-Newman shot 39.7 percent from the field, while knocking down 10-of-20 shots from beyond the arc (50 percent). The Bulldogs dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles 44-29. Wingate out-scored Carson-Newman 36-20 in the paint.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne at 8 p.m. Carson-Newman hosts Tusculum Wednesday at 8 p.m.

(Courtesy Wingate Sports Information)