Selden, Gardner-Webb survive Winthrop’s second-half comeback attempt

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Anthony Selden scored a team-high 20 points, including a pair of late free throws, as Gardner-Webb withstood Kelton Talford and the Winthrop Eagles, 89-83, at Paul Porter Arena.

“That’s why we played such a tough non-conference schedule, so we would be prepared for games like this,” Selden said. “I think we stayed calm because we had been in this situation before, where teams would make a run at us. We lost some of those games, but we learned from them and that experience helped us win tonight.”

Selden opened the game with four quick points, and by the time Jamaine Mann hit a three, the Runnin’ Bulldogs had a 7-0 lead. After a Winthrop timeout, the GWU defense forced a shot clock violation, and a Buddy Simmons three, the home team led, 10-0.

Ademide Badmus hit a floater in the lane later in the half and the Eagles did not hit their first field goal until the 14:23 mark. After Simmons hit another three from the corner, Gardner-Webb led, 19-5. Winthrop got back in the game from the foul line as it entered the bonus at the 10:54 mark of the first half. Selden and Badmus picked up their second fouls in the process, but GWU still led, 19-10.

Pharrell Boyogueno ended a long scoreless drought for the home team with a deep triple and Isaiah Richards converted an old-fashioned three-point play as the Runnin’ Bulldogs pushed their lead back to 25-12. After more trips to the foul line for Winthrop, Jacob Hudson came off the bench to score an athletic layup to keep the advantage in double figures, at 28-18.

The teams traded triples, but the Eagles continued to make a living at the foul line. Selden came back in the game with three fouls and scored on a driving layup. Talford hit a deep three to beat the shot clock for Winthrop, but Shahar Lazar beat the halftime buzzer as GWU led at the break, 37-28.

Selden opened the second half with a drive to the bucket. He then hit a pair of free throws and also finished through contact as GWU led, 45-31. Brendan Mykalcio followed with a fast-break layup. He also added a pair of foul shots as Gardner-Webb had its biggest lead of the game. Talford kept Winthrop in the game with a turnaround. That keyed a 6-0 Winthrop run that ended when Simmons hit a three from the corner. That momentum was short-lived as Talford threw down a dunk, cutting the deficit 53-47. Mann converted, but so did  Talford. KJ Doucet hit a three before Talford tied the game again with a rebound and putback to knot the score at 60 apiece.

The game continued to go back and forth, but Mykalcio gave GWU a 66-62 lead with a tip-in. After Winthrop took its first lead at 70-69, Boyogueno hit a three from the corner before Talford hit a floater on the other end to tie the game at 72 heading to the final media stoppage.

Selden responded with a dunk on the other end that keyed an 8-2 GWU run, capped on a Simmons three. As a result, the home team led, 80-74. Talford capped a quick 5-0 Winthrop run with a floater. With GWU leading 82-81, Simmons drained a triple in the corner as the Bulldogs led, 85-81, with 30.9 seconds left.

Winthrop tried a three, but it was wedged between the rim and the backboard. The jump ball gave GWU the possession and Selden sank a pair of free throws. The Runnin’ Bulldogs then hit four of five from the foul line down the stretch to seal the 89-83 win.

A New Streak: In years past, a win over Winthrop always seemed to elude GWU, but with this victory, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have now won three in a row in the competitive series.

“This win means a lot to me personally,” Selden said. “It’s my first-ever win vs Winthrop for me on this floor. It feels good because it is my last year, but also how big this win was for the team.”

“Tim (Craft) and I lost seven or eight games in a row to them when we first got here,” head coach Jeremy Luther added. “Then we broke the streak in 2019 on our way to the NCAA Tournament. Then we lost a few more. Now we swept them last year and then got the one tonight. That’s three in a row and my first one as a head coach. It’s special for sure.”

Charity Begins At Home: Gardner-Webb shot 21-for-25 from the charity stripe (84 percent), bringing its season average up to nearly 70 percent from the line. Meanwhile, Winthrop shot at a 55 percent clip from the line.

“That was one of the big keys to the game,” Luther said. “If we had shot like that all, we would have a few more wins. NC Central and Charlotte come to mind. Hopefully, we can continue to shoot like that.”

 

Kelton Keys The Comeback: The GWU defense held Kelton Talford to just three points in the first half, but he exploded for 18 in the second to finish with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.

“Man, he is so tough,” Luther said. “We did a great job on him in the first half, but then we started biting on his pump fakes in the second instead of making him shoot over us. But credit to him. That’s why he is one of the best players in our league.”

Up Next: Gardner-Webb (7-9, 2-1 Big South) will face preseason favorite High Point on the road Saturday at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Winthrop (11-7, 1-2 Big South) will host Longwood.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Selden said. “But I think we are the toughest team in the conference. We are gritty and that’s why I think we are going to win.”