Gardner-Webb’s struggles continue in loss to Radford

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb was unable to turn the tide of its recent struggle on Wednesday, the latest example coming in a close, defensive battle with Radford, one the visiting Highlanders claimed inside Paul Porter Arena by the final of 63-56.

“Radford guarded us very well,” head coach Jeremy Luther said. “They made it very difficult to score and they were very physical. We were not. We were not good enough in a lot of areas tonight.”

Anthony Selden opened the game with a drive to the basket, but Radford answered with a quick 6-0 run. Buddy Simmons splashed a jumper to end the streak and Jamaine Mann scored four in a row to tie the game at 8. Isaiah Richards hit a three later in the half to give GWU a slim 13-11 advantage. Once again, Radford answered with a run and by the time Truth Harris hit a three, the Highlanders led with 7:39 left in the first half, 19-13. That lead grew to as many as seven points before Richards converted an old fashioned three-point play. As they had done all night, the Highlanders responded with a run, and after a dunk by Ibu Yamazaki, GWU trailed 28-18.

After a timeout that saw Luther break his clipboard, Gardner-Webb responded, as Mann converted a layup and Simmons hit a jumper. Selden continued the comeback with a foul shot. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the half, allowing Radford to take a 33-27 lead into the locker room.

The Radford lead quickly ballooned to 10 points out of the intermission. Richards then answered with a three and Selden converted a three-point play. With the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ deficit at four points, the teams went on a long stretch of trading buckets, including  a pair of buckets from Simmons. Radford slowly began to pull away again to a 52-42 lead midway through the half. Selden would later stop the run with a drive to the basket, as would Simmons.

The home team went cold from the floor from that point, however, as the lead for Radford quickly grew back to 10 just before the last media stoppage. During the final segment,  GWU could get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Struggling Down The Stretch: Gardner-Webb has lost seven of its last nine games, and the box score from the Radford game is a microcosm of those struggles. GWU shot just 2-for-16 from beyond the arc and 6-for-14 from the charity stripe. Conversely, Radford hit 13 of 14 foul shots, which turned out to be a major factor in the contest. The 56 points scored by the Runnin’ Bulldogs were the third-lowest offensive output of the season.

Down With The Sickness: GWU starter Pharrell Boyogueno did not play due to illness, and his status for the regular season finale at Presbyterian on Saturday is uncertain. Boyogueno is just one of several Runnin’ Bulldogs players who have missed time due to illness this season, adding to the team’s struggles.

Honoring The Seniors: Before the game, GWU honored four seniors who are in their final years with the program: Mann, Selden, Richards and Ademide Badmus. Mann and Selden were also given commemorative basketballs celebrating 1,000 career points between GWU and other programs.

Up Next: GWU closes out the regular season with a big game Saturday at Presbyterian. Should the Runnin’ Bulldogs win, they would avoid the play-in game in the Big South tournament by virtue of a sweep of the Blue Hose. If not, they will take on USC Upstate in the opening-round game of the tournament next Wednesday. Radford’s victory assures the Highlanders of no worse than the No. 5 seed in the tournament. Radford also closes out the regular season Saturday, hosting Charleston Southern. Tips for both games are set for 2 p.m.