Gardner-Webb Wins Battle of the Bulldogs
December 17, 2007 | Women's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Behind career highs from redshirt-sophomore Laura Povilonyte and sophomore Margaret Roundtree, the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team exacted revenge from an earlier season loss to UNC-Asheville and downed the visiting Bulldogs by an 82-70 score.
GWU improves to 3-9 on the season while UNCA falls to 6-5 on the season.
Roundtree posted a game-high 22 points in a mere 28 minutes of play. She connected on 9-of-15 shots from the floor. Roundtree pulled down seven boards and hit all four of her foul shots. For good measure, Roundtree also swatted a shot.
Povilonyte tallied her second consecutive double-double of the season. She hit six-of-14 shots from the field and 6-of-7 from the line for a career-best 19 points. Povilonyte also pulled down 15 rebounds. Her 13 defensive boards are the third most in a single game in school history. Povilonyte tallied two steals and a block.
Sophomore Meranda Burnett dished out a game-high five assists. Freshman Monique Hudson tallied 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor.
For the game, GWU canned 29-of-61 shots from the field for a 47.5 clip.
At the intermission, head coach Rick Reeves' team led 42-41 after Monique Hudson drilled a short jumper with three seconds left in the half.
GWU opened the game on a 14-4 run behind solid team play. After the score was tied at 2-2, Monique Hudson netted a lay-up before Roundtree drained a jumper in the paint for a 6-2 advantage. UNCA hit a jumper, but Povilonyte stepped out to drill a three-pointer for a 9-4 lead. Roundtree followed it up with another lay-up off a Burnett pass before Jenny Sprouse drilled a three-pointer after a Povilonyte steal.
UNCA fought back though through solid play, pulling within three at 33-30 with 4:25 to play on a three-pointer by Ashton Barton. UNCA eventually tied the game on Chioma Okoli's three-pointer with 1:58 to play in the half. However, LaToya Carter hit the sec ond of two free throws to go up one, 40-39.
Okoli hit a jumper to go up one with 25 seconds for a one-point lead, but Hudson hit the key jumper to go in up one at the intermission.
In the second half, GWU went on a 6- run to start the period, but the Bulldogs of UNCA gradually pulled back into the contest. UNCA's Jessica Monroe hit a free throw to put the visitors up one, 63-62, but Sprouse came back and drilled her second tri-fector of the night to go up two.
Although UNCA would knot the score at 67, the Bulldogs would never lose the lead. Their suffocating defense held the visitors scoreless for 4:12 while Reeves' team went on a 15-0 run over that same time.
Every shot that UNCA put up, it seemed as though Roundtree or Povilonyte grabbed the board thanks to some good boxing out and positioning by not only those two, but the entire team.
Teri Higgenbottom was inserted into the game with just under three minutes to play and hit both free throws when she was fouled. GWU hit 14-15 charity tosses in the final 20 minutes to seal the win.
The Bulldogs return to action on Jan. 2, 2008, when they play
High Point at 7 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.
| Box Score |
