WINGATE, N.C. --- Wingate University went on an early 18-4 run and came away with a 76-47 victory over Tusculum College in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at Cuddy Arena.
Ryan Daye led the Bulldogs (6-4, 1-0 SAC) with a game-high 23 points as Wingate shot 52.6 percent (30-for-57) from the field and converted 21 Tusculum turnovers into 27 points.
Keith Jumper was the lone player to reach double figures for the Pioneers (2-8, 0-2 SAC), scoring 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Addison Flynn added a career-high nine rebounds for Tusculum, which shot 21.7 percent (5-for-23) from the field in the first half en route to a 37-20 halftime deficit. For the game, the Pioneers connected on 36.4 percent (16-for-44) of their shots.
Daye shot 8-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, for the Bulldogs, who received 12 points and six rebounds from Odell Turner and 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds from Deion Turman.
For Tusculum, Darius Carter scored eight points and Anton Tuz added a season-high eight points to go with four rebounds. The Pioneers were outrebounded 37-27 by the Bulldogs and had just two fast-break points compared to 19 by Wingate.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Daye helped the Bulldogs sprint to a quick 13-3 lead after just over four minutes. A three-pointer by Carter with 12:28 left in the first half brought the Pioneers within 10 points for the final time in the game at 15-7, as Wingate closed the half by holding Tusculum to one field goal over the final six minutes to take a 37-20 lead to halftime.
Daye led all players with 14 points for Wingate in the first half, while Carter and Tuz scored four points apiece to pace Tusculum in the opening half.
In the second half, Wingate went on an 8-0 run to build their lead to 45-22, and the Pioneers would get no closer than 19 the rest of the afternoon. Jumper scored nine of his 10 points for Tusculum in the second half, connecting on all four of his field-goal attempts, as the Pioneers were 11-for-21 (52.4 percent) from the field after halftime.
Flynn's nine rebounds surpassed his previous season high of six boards against Georgia Southwestern on Dec. 8, while Tuz's eight points doubled his previous season best of four which he established Dec. 3 against Queens.
The Pioneers will be back home Wednesday night to face Carson-Newman in a SAC battle beginning at 8 p.m.
- TC -
