Simmons shines as Gardner-Webb outlasts Presbyterian

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Kobe Stewart’s three-point heave at the buzzer was offline as Gardner-Webb picked up a huge conference win on its home floor Saturday afternoon, downing Presbyterian, 63-61 at Paul Porter Arena.

Buddy Simmons led GWU with 16 points, including a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds, to help seal the win.

“This one felt big,” head coach Jeremy Luther said after the game. “After the loss to Charleston Southern, we did not want to go down 0-2 in Big South play. All the conference games are important and the margins between winning and losing in this league are so thin, it’s always good when you end up on the right side of the ledger.”

GWU found success in the paint early, as Jamaine Mann scored and Anthony Selden converted on drives to the basket. Pharrell Boyogueno also hit a triple as the home team had an early 8-6 lead. Shahar Lazar came off the bench to score four quick points, but Stewart hit a deep three to pull Presbyterian to within 12-11. The visitors then got hot from behind the arc and built a 20-15 lead, and led 22-19 at the under-8 media stoppage.

Selden stopped the streak with a drive to the bucket, but Presbyterian hit another three and forced a pair of turnovers that led to easy points as the Blue Hose grew its lead to double digits, at 33-23. Selden scored on a drive to the basket and Isaiah Richards garnered a putback. Simmons then hit a three and scored on a drive to the basket as part of a 10-0 run that tied the game at 33. After Kaleb Scott scored, Simmons beat the buzzer with a floater as the teams entered the locker room tied at 37.

Selden opened the second half with a sweeping hook shot, and Simmons had a fast break layup. Lazar also scored on a putback, as did Richards. By the time Richards threw down a slam, and Boyogueno hit a pair of foul shots, GWU had its largest lead of the game to that point, at 47-39.

Kory Mincy ended the run and the turnover bug bit the Bulldogs. The Blue Hose pulled to within 49-46 before Stewart tied things up at 49 with a deep three with 7:11 left in the contest. After the teams traded baskets, Simmons hit a deep three. Mann followed with a big bucket in the paint as the home team kept its three-point lead, at 57-54, with 3:27 left. Mincy tied the game at 58 with a short jumper, then Boyogueno hit two big free throws on the other end as the advantage kept swinging back-and-forth. Mann grabbed a huge offensive rebound with GWU protecting a two-point lead, and after Simmons hit two foul shots, the home team led, 62-58. Jamahri Harvey hit a circus shot from beyond the arc with four seconds left. Richards was fouled and hit one of two from the stripe to set up Stewart’s heave at the buzzer that went wide right, accounting for the 63-61 final.

The Buddy System: After seeing limited action last season as a freshman, Buddy Simmons has emerged as one of the best players in the Big South as a sophomore. He leads Gardner-Webb with 15.9 points per game, and also tops the team in assists, field goal, and free throw percentage.

“It feels good to impact the game on both the offensive and defensive side,” he said. “I was missing shots early, but I started to find my rhythm there at the end of the first half. As for those foul shots at the end, it’s all about confidence.”

High Praise For PC: Even though they have had some fierce battles over the years, GWU and Presbyterian have had some fierce battles over the years, as they are a pair of programs that have the utmost respect for one another.

“Coach (Quinton) Ferrell does an amazing job,” Luther said. “They have some big wins against some top-quality teams, and then they gave South Carolina all they wanted. They play hard and they have some great shooters. This was a quality win for us.”

(High)Blood Pressure Baptists: Anybody who has seen any Gardner-Webb basketball games this season knows that the Runnin’ Bulldogs have a penchant for close games, causing fans’  blood pressure to skyrocket. In fact, of GWU’s 15 games, ten have been decided by two possessions or less.

“The Big South is a strong league,” Luther said. “I think we are 16th out of 32 conferences as far as RPI. We have some big wins as a conference, and not much separates us from top to bottom. Every game is going to come down to the end I feel like, so buckle up.”

UP NEXT: GWU (6-9, 1-1 Big South) will host Winthrop on Wednesday, while Presbyterian (8-9, 1-1) will travel to play USC Upstate the same evening. Both tips are set for 7 p.m.