Box Score
Box score
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Using a large advantage on the offensive
glass, No. 3 seed Wingate outlasted second-seeded Anderson, 75-70,
in overtime on Saturday to advance to the finals of the Food Lion
South Atlantic Conference Tournament at Timmons Arena.
Wingate (21-9), the defending SAC Tournament champion, will look
to defend its title against top-seeded Lincoln Memorial on Sunday
at 4:30 p.m. Anderson (19-9), ranked ninth in the most recent NCAA
Southeast Region rankings, wait until the NCAA Selection Show at
10:30 p.m. Sunday night to learn its fate for the remainder of the
postseason.
Wingate scored the first basket of the contest, but Anderson
countered with back-to-back 3-pointers, first from guard DJ McGowan
then from sophomore Myson Jones to take an early 6-2 lead. But the
Bulldogs regained a brief 10-9 edge on center Deion Turman's
traditional three-point play with 15:43 on the clock.
The opening half featured six tie scores and seven lead changes,
with neither team able to build more than a four-point lead until
Turman's offensive rebound and putback off a missed free throw by
teammate Xavier Griffin with just more than two minutes remaining
in the half gave Wingate a 33-28 advantage.
Anderson sophomore center Chris Ross trimmed the Bulldog lead to
three with a pair of free throws 16 seconds later, but WU's Eddie
Lewis answered with a traditional three-point play to boost the WU
lead to 36-30.
Trojan guard DJ McGowan connected on a 3-pointer from deep in
the left corner to pull AU within 36-33, but the Bulldogs closed
the half with five straight points to take a 41-33 lead into
intermission.
Wingate opened the second frame by sandwiching a pair of 3s
around an inside basket by AU's Kyle Sledge to push out to a
double-digit, 47-35, lead with less than 18 minutes remaining. But
Anderson countered with an 11-2 run, fueled by junior guard
Chandler Hash.
Trojan forward Bo Holston trimmed the deficit to single digits
by connecting on one-of-two free throws at the 16:25 mark and
Hash's trey from the right wing pulled Anderson within 49-42 with
14:22 left. The 6-foot guard added a pair of free throws to pull
the Trojans within 49-44 and a slam by Sledge with 12:47 on clock
got AU as close as 49-46
Two free throws by Wingate's Odell Turner with 11:39 left slowed
the Trojan outburst and pushed the 'Dogs back up by five. Guard
Paidrick Maitilus followed by sinking a trey from the left wing to
give WU an eight-point edge.
AU posted another run - a 10-2 surge to knot the score at
56-56, with Ryan Daye regaining the lead for WU on a 3-pointer from
the right side.
AU took its first lead since the 5:51 mark of the first half,
60-59, on four consecutive free throws from Hash - the final two
with 28.7 ticks remaining. Wingate's Eddie Lewis drained a 3 with
just seven seconds left to give Wingate a brief 62-60 lead, but
AU's Sledge evened the score at 62-62 and Odell Turner's long
attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.
Wingate scored the first six points of the extra frame and the
Trojans were unable to recover.
Daye led four Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points, while
Paidrick Matilus added 14. Turman netted 13 and Lewis finished with
12 points. Turner pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.
Hash scored a game-high 21 points for the Trojans, with Jones
chipping in 15. McGowan and Holston scored 11 apiece. Sledge
notched his second double-double of the season with 10 points and
10 rebounds