SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men's basketball team (3-5) used an outstanding defensive effort to take down the North Alabama Lions (5-4) 74-54 on Sunday evening at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. It was the first home game in 27 days for the Terriers, as the team held North Alabama to 35.2 percent shooting from the field.
 
"The defensive effort was great tonight," said head coach Dwight Perry. "We really set the tone, especially in the first half. We were committed to staying on the glass. We have to do a better job of dominating the glass, and I thought that showed up. The first 10 minutes of the game really set the tone."
 
The game served as the first matchup between the teams in program history, and it was part two of the ASUN/SoCon Alliance. Earlier in the season, Wofford faced off against Lipscomb.
 
The Terriers outshot the Lions, finishing the night at a 47.6 percent (30-63) clip while UNA shot 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field. Wofford won the three-point battle as well, shooting 30.4 percent (7-23) with the Lions finishing 4-for-18. Dillon Bailey led all scorers with 18 points, which marks his third-straight game with 18 points or more. Corey Tripp followed behind with 12 points, along with Kyler Filewich scoring 11 to round out the three double-digit scorers for Wofford.
 
"We are getting great shots," said Dillon Bailey. "Most of the time it's because of my teammates. We are making great passes and setting great screens. It's not just me – I feel like everybody is getting open looks right now and we are starting to make them."
 
Wofford posted an astounding 45-25 rebounding victory, including 15 offensive rebounds on 33 shot attempts. The 15 offensive rebounds serve as the most against a Division I opponent since grabbing 18 against Coastal Carolina (12/9/23). Kyler Filewich and Corey Tripp flirted with a double-double, with both players pulling down nine boards. Luke Flynn trailed behind as the freshman guard tallied six rebounds.
 
"We preach toughness," said Kyler Filewich of the huge rebounding night. "It's good to impose our will in the paint. We knew that is something they would want to do against us, so we've have been working on that. One of our goals every game is to get after the offensive boards, and I am glad we were able to do that."
 
The team totaled 15 assists on 30 makes while holding UNA to just seven assists. Justin Bailey paced the team with three assists on the night. Wofford dominated in the paint, scoring 46 points to the Lions' 26.
 
North Alabama opened the game with a four-point spurt in its favor, but Wofford came storming back. Jackson Sivills scored the first two points of the night for the Terriers, along with Anthony Arrington, Jr. nailing a three-pointer the next possession. After another bucket from UNA, Wofford would score nine unanswered points take an early 14-6 lead.
 
The nine-point swing was just the tipping point of a much larger run, as the team totaled 18 points compared to the Lions' three over the next seven minutes of action. The hot start gave Wofford a 25-8 lead with 9:16 left in the first half. The defense played a huge role in the first half, holding UNA to 34.8 percent shooting from the field and just 14.3 percent from deep. Wofford held the Lions to just one assist in the first half, while the Terriers shot 57.6 percent from the field and 45.5 from three-point land in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Wofford embarked on a seven-point run in the final minute of the half to stretch the game out to a 22-point margin heading in the break. Dillon Bailey nailed his second three-pointer of the half to start the run, followed by a layup from Bailey. After a turnover by the Lions, Corey Tripp would score a running layup with just a few seconds to spare on the clock to complete the 7-0 run. The Terriers would head into the break leading 43-21.
 
Kyler Filewich got the Terriers on the board first in the opening minute of the second half, but the Lions answered with a quick four-point spurt. A Dillon Bailey trey ball extended the Terrier lead to 23 points with 17:21 left in the game. The teams traded baskets for several minutes until North Alabama cut the deficit to 16 points.
 
The Terriers answered with a 9-2 run over the next four minutes of action to stretch the margin back to 23. The Lions would make one last push, as the team pulled within 16 for the final time at the 4:20 mark. Wofford handled the last-stitch effort, finishing the night with a 74-54 win over North Alabama in what was the team's first home game in 27 days.
 
The Terriers will be back at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, December 4, for their second-straight home game. The team will welcome Gardner-Webb to town for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.