Gardner-Webb repels early challenge from North Greenville, coasts to victory in second half

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb faced a tough test Monday from a pesky North Greenville side, but in the end, the Runnin’ Bulldogs repelled the Crusaders, 79-60.

Many fans did not expect such a stiff challenge from Division II North Greenville, but head coach Tim Craft knew his squad would have to work hard for the win. 

“We knew coming in that they could play,” Craft said. “We talked about that in practice and we talked about it pregame. If you look at their schedule, they played Furman and The Citadel close as well, so I would not say that this was unexpected at all.” 

Gardner-Webb (5-6) opened up hot from the floor as Lucas Stieber scored five quick points out of the gate, but struggled on the defensive end, only leading 13-10 at the first media stoppage. Caleb Robinson drilled a three and threw down a dunk as the lead ballooned to 20-12. 

The Crusaders answered with a 10-0 run to take a 22-20 lead, but Stieber snapped the skid with a bucket. North Greenville would connect on a pair of threes to go back in front 27-26 before freshman Buddy Simmons gave the hosts the lead back with a foul line jumper, but North Greenville hit another triple to tie the contest at 30 apiece. Robinson took over during the half’s final segment, seemingly getting in the lane or to the foul line at will. He scored five straight points to give Gardner-Webb a 40-34 lead at the break. 

Robinson’s good game continued in the second half with a driving layup. Julien Soumaoro hit a three and by the time DQ Nicholas brought the crowd to its feet with a steal and a tomahawk slam, the Runnin’ Bulldogs led, 50-34. After North Greenville stopped the bleeding, Shahar Lazar hit a three from the corner to push the lead to 19 points. After a Crusader triple, Isaiah Richards extended the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play, but the visitors stayed within striking distance thanks to a pair of shots from beyond the arc. By the time they hit another, the lead had shrunk to 66-58. Soumaoro responded with consecutive buckets to keep the Crusaders at bay. Nicholas sealed the game with a late three to account for the 79-60 final. 

BUILT TO SCORE: While Caleb Robinson carried the offensive load in the first half, Julien Soumaoro provided the heavy lifting in the second stanza. Soumaoro finished with a game-high 16 points while Robinson finished with 14. With his late three, Nicholas gave Gardner-Webb a third player in double figures with 12. 

“Those guys are built to score,” Craft said. “They can go off at any time and score in bunches. They all do it in different ways. Caleb is so good at getting to the basket. Julien can get to the rim and also shoot the three. They can all score the basketball.”

SAYING HELLO TO AN OLD FRIEND: Former Gardner-Webb point guard Christian Turner was welcomed back to Boiling Springs with hearty applause by those in attendance as he was introduced as part of the North Greenville coach staff. Turner was a vital part of the Runnin’ Bulldogs' march to the NCAA tournament in 2018-2019 and also helped engineer a trio of Power 5 upsets as a player against Nebraska (2015), Georgia Tech (2018) and Wake Forest (also 2018). 

“It’s always great to have CT back,” Craft said. “He had some big games for us and now he is doing a terrific job with North Greenville.”

UP NEXT: After taking a break for exams, Gardner-Webb will hit the road for a neutral site showdown in Greensboro with instate rival Appalachian State on December 16. The Mountaineers are 7-2 and have a victory over Auburn of the SEC.  

“It will be a challenge for sure,” Craft said. “There are a lot of things we have to improve on between now and then, but it gives us a unique opportunity to play somewhere we have never played in front of our fans in the Piedmont. I think everyone is looking forward to it.” 

Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. inside the famed Greensboro Coliseum Complex.