GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Wingate University used a 12-2 run in the second half as the Bulldogs posted an 85-74 South Atlantic Conference men's basketball victory over host Tusculum University Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Arena.
Wingate junior Alex Godley scored a season-high 22 points off the bench including 13 in the second half as the Bulldogs went shot 63 percent (15-of-24) from the floor in the final 20 minutes. Junior Jordan Miller (13), senior Jaden Lingo (11) and senior Corbin Pack (10) finished in double-digit scoring for the visitors.
Wingate ended the game shooting 49 percent from the floor and 24-of-32 from the free throw line (75%). TU shot 25-of-51 from the field (49%) and 17-of-25 from the foul line (68%).
Tusculum graduate student Bryce Jackson poured in a season-high 24 points, while junior TJ Printup accounted for his second double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Printup also recorded two blocked shots and shot 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
The contest saw 11 lead changes including eight in the second half. With Wingate leading 38-32 at halftime, the Bulldogs scored the first five points of the second period including a dunk by sophomore Darius Carr as Wingate led 43-32 with 18:53 remaining in the game.
The Bulldogs were up 46-35, but Tusculum responded with a 12-0 run over a 2:44 span as the Pioneers led 47-46 after a Wesley Johnson triple with 15:03 to go. It was TU's first lead since being up 22-21 with at the 7:01 mark of the first half.
Campbell answered with a basket to regain the lead for the Bulldogs, but TU freshman Jordan Attia buried a three-pointer as the Pioneers led 50-48. Miller answered with a triple of his own as Wingate went up again, but a perimeter jumper from Jackson and a tip-in by Printup as Tusculum led 54-54 with 12:49 on the clock.
Four straight points from Wingate pushed the Dogs back out to a 55-54 advantage, before TU junior Damjan Vukcevic converted a hook shot for a 56-55 Tusculum lead with 10:40 on the clock.
But the Bulldogs posted a key 12-2 run over the next five minutes including seven in a row as Wingate led 67-58 with 5:49 remaining following a Miller triple.
Printup and Jackson answered with back-to-back buckets to trim the deficit to 67-62 with 4:41 on the scoreboard. Wingate went on a 5-0 run to push the lead out to double-digits again at 72-62 with 3:32 remaining. Jackson hit a step back jumper to make it a 72-64 game, but the Bulldogs would go on a 5-0 run to take their largest lead of the day at 77-64 with 1:45 to go to put the game out of reach.
Attia finished with a season-best 11 points including three 3-pointers, while junior Amari Allen tallied eight points and three rebounds. Vukcevic and freshman Reed Ownby posted five points each, while Johnson added three markers and five boards.
Jackson established a personal milestone on Saturday as he hauled in his 300th career rebound. He has also amassed 926 career points as he his 74-shy of becoming the 30th member of the TU 1,000-Point Club. Saturday was Jackson's 43rd career game in double-figure scoring and his 15th with 20 or more.
Tusculum will make the short trip to Johnson City on Sunday to face NCAA Division I ETSU for a 2 p.m. contest at Freedom Hall. It will be an exhibition contest for the Pioneers, while the game and statistics will count for the Buccaneers.
