NEWBERRY – In a foul-filled contest, Angelo Sales Jr. led the way as Newberry matched last season’s South Atlantic Conference win total with an 85-79 home victory over Wingate. The Wolves are now 9-6 (5-4 SAC) on the season.
The first half was a taut affair, as neither side was able to gain much of an advantage, although the Bulldogs controlled play for the majority of the half. Wingate got off to a thunderous start as Quantra Taylor converted a putback dunk less than a minute into the game. Sales quickly tied the score with a short jumper before Miguel Priest made a three pointer to give the Bulldogs a little cushion. QuanDaveon McCollum would respond on the other end for the Wolves, and Sales scored again a short time later, but Priest hit another jumper to regain the lead for Wingate.
TJ Brown made a short jumper to retake the lead for Newberry, but back to back three pointers by Francis Sio and Priest extended the Bulldog lead out to five points. Sio hit another three pointer with ten and a half minutes to play in the half to give Wingate an eight point lead at 20-12. Sales quickly cut into that lead with five straight points; then Marcus Ford hit his first three-pointer of the contest to pull the Wolves within two. An and-one dunk by Jakob Dawkins gave Wingate a five point lead once again before hitting a three pointer on the next possession to give them a six point lead.
Luke Gibson and Ford hit back to back three pointers to tie the score, then Sales converted an and-one on the following possession to give the Wolves a one point lead. The Bulldogs used three pointers by Dawkins and Sio to retake a five point lead, but Jalen Johnson scored on three consecutive Newberry possessions to pull the Wolves within one before Gibson hit another three pointer to give the Wolves a two point lead. Jarren Cottingham then tied the game with a jumper and the teams headed into the half deadlocked at 41.
McCollum started the half with an and-one off an alley oop pass from Marshall Lange before Taylor had another putback dunk to cut the lead back to one. Wingate continued to attack and took a five point lead when Cottingham made a three pointer with just more than 16 minutes to play. Newberry then went on a run as Gibson made two free throws and a three pointer, Brown made a layup, and Sales made two free throws to give the Wolves a 58-54 lead.
The teams traded baskets for a few minutes before Johnson hit a deep three pointer to give the Wolves a seven point lead. Taylor responded with a layup, but Gibson matched him with a rainbow jumper. Wingate would not go away; however, as they made two baskets and Cottingham hit another three pointer to tie the game with five and a half minutes to play.
Ford and Donell Nixon traded three pointers before Gibson made yet another three pointer to keep the momentum with Newberry. Cottingham hit two free throws to cut the lead to one, but Sales made a free throw and a corner three pointer to extend the lead to five with less than two minutes to play. After Frankie Johnson hit a layup to keep the game within one possession, Sales hit a deep three pointer right in front of the Wolves’ bench, extending the lead to 82-76 with 51 seconds to play. Marshall Lange and Sales hit three of four free throws down the stretch to offset a Cottingham three pointer and provide the final margin.
Sales had a monster night with a season-high 26 points and 18 rebounds, while Gibson missed just one shot from the field and finished with a career-high tying 21 points. Ford joined them in double figures with 14 points and Johnson had a season and career-high 10 points, sneaking into double figures.