BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Anthony Selden scored a game-high 27 points to pace five Gardner-Webb players in double figures as the Runnin’ Bulldogs overcame a frigid start from the field to upset the Longwood Lancers, 92-87.
“This was huge,” GWU head coach Jeremy Luther said after the game. “I did not think we would get to 92 points after the way we started, but we settled down and started making shots.”
Gardner-Webb was held without a field goal for the first four minutes of the game, and trailed 10-2 after a Michael Christmas three. Shahar Lazar broke the streak with a layup, but the home team still trailed 10-6. The teams traded triples as the offenses started to heat up. Kyrell Luc hit a three for Longwood to keep the Lancers in front, 19-15, midway through the half.
Jamaine Mann hit a deep three for GWU, along with a short jumper, but the defense had a hard time getting stops as Longwood was shooting at over a 50 percent clip to that point. Christmas hit another trey as Longwood built a double-digit lead at 32-22. Freshman Colin Hawkins came off the bench to convert a backdoor layup and Buddy Simmons hit a three, but Longwood kept shooting at a torrid pace, leading 36-28 at the final media stoppage of the half.
Simmons got hot from deep, hitting two in a row after the timeout and Selden scored on a drive to the bucket to cut the deficit to 39-38. Johan Nziemi hit a 3 on the other end for Longwood to give the Lancers a 42-39 lead at the break.
Selden opened the second half with a putback and by the time Simmons hit a three, GWU had its first lead of the game, 46-45, with 17:08 left in the game. Christmas tied the contest at 48 later in the half with a deep three. The lead kept changing hands until a quick 6-0 spurt from Longwood gave the Lancers a four-point lead. Selden answered with a triple and Simmons scored a layup as the Runnin’ Bulldogs retook a 57-56 advantage.. After Longwood retook the lead, Selden hit a three from the corner and Simmons followed with a driving layup. By the time Jacob Hudson hit a pair of free throws, Gardner-Webb had its largest lead of the contest, at 68-62.
Angelo Brizzi hit a three to spark a 7-0 Longwood run that saw the Lancers take a one-point lead, The game then turned into a foul shooting contest down the stretch. It was a back-door layup from Mann and a three from the far corner from Pharrell Boyogueno that gave the home team a 79-74 lead with 3:10 left in the game. Selden came up with a big block on the other end to stop a Lancer fast break and Simmons scored on a drive to the basket. Luc answered on the other end for the visitors, but GWU led, 81-76, with 1:18 left. Lazar missed a three for the Bulldogs but grabbed his own rebound for a layup.
“That was a huge play in the game,” Luther said of Lazar’s layup. “But it’s not a huge surprise. He does that all the time in practice. He never gives up on a play.”
Luc hit a 3 for Longwood, but Mann sank a pair of critical foul shots as GWU held an 85-81 lead with 28 seconds left. Christmas hit another three for Longwood, but Selden and Isaiah Richards went a combined 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Longwood tried to lengthen the game with successful drives to the baskets, but Boyogueno iced the game with two more free throws as GWU won by the 92-87 final.
Free Throws Tell The Story: Many times during the Runnin’ Bulldogs' 23-year Division I history, poor foul shooting has cost Gardner-Webb victories. Tonight, GWU was 23-for-29 from the line (79.3 percent) while Longwood was just 9-for-21 (42.9 percent).
“We finally had one go our way,” Luther said. “I’ve been here for 13 years, and countless times, we would lose games by a very slim margin because of foul shooting. Tonight was the opposite. Honestly, we have so many drivers on the team. Ant (Selden) and Jamaine (Mann) are power drivers. They can get to the line along with Pharrell. Tonight, we made the most of those chances and that was the difference in the game.”
A Selden Showcase: Not only did Selden score a game-high 27 points, but he was also very efficient from the field. He was 9-of-11 from the deck including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
“We are in the gym constantly, putting up shots, from the free throw line and from the floor,” he said. “That’s just the makeup and the mindset of this team. Even after practice, we are putting up shots. I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging, but we are the toughest team in the league. I think that was the difference tonight in a close game. We wanted it more than they did.”
As Luc Would Have It: Longwood’s Kyrell Luc had an outstanding game as well. He notched 25 points and also dished out six assists in a losing effort.
Up Next: Gardner-Webb (9-12, 4-4 Big South) will look to pick up its first conference road win of the season when it travels to Winthrop for a massive matchup on Saturday. Both teams enter the contest with a 4-4 Big South mark, tied for fourth place in the standings.
“We have to be confident and play with grit,” Selden said. “If we play hard the whole time, I think we win the game.”
Longwood (16-7, 5-3 Big South) will travel to Charleston Southern. Both tipoffs are set for 2 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.