Gardner-Webb Cruises Past UVA-Wise, 74-47, Saturday Night In Home Opener
November 29, 2008 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS – Nate Blank scored 20 points to pace a
balanced scoring attack and Gardner-Webb cruised past UVA-Wise,
74-47, with leading scorer Grayson Flittner out of the lineup
Saturday.
Blank knocked down 4-of-6 shots from long distance for Gardner-Webb
(1-4), and seemed to be slowly working himself back into shape
after missing the first three games of the season with an injury.
The Terre Haute, Ind., native – last year's Atlantic Sun
Conference Player of the Year – added a career-high seven
assists, had three steals and made 8-of-11 shots overall in just 26
minutes.
Jonathan Moore added 13 points and Aaron Linn scored 10 for the
Runnin' Bulldogs, who scored 25 points on fast breaks and
out-scored the Highland Cavaliers (0-8) 41-6 in the paint.
GWU led by as many as 20 points, 33-13, in the first half and was
never threatened in the contest – Gardner-Webb's only home
game in its first 10 games this season.
The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 46.9 percent for the game (30-of-64) and
held a 43-23 edge on the glass – with freshman Joshua Henley
grabbing 11 boards (six offensive) to go with seven points. Moore
was the only GWU starter to play more than 27 minutes in the game,
as 13 players saw action in the rout.
UVA-Wise guard Pance Kecev paced the visitors with 18 points,
hitting 5-of-12 from three-point range. The Highland Cavaliers shot
just 36.4 percent for the game, and were outscored 25-0 on second
chance opportunities.
Gardner-Webb was still not at full strength Saturday, as preseason
All-Big South guard Grayson Flittner (19.3 ppg) did not dress for
the game due to an injury. Backup point guard Brandon Jackson
dressed for the first time this season, but was not available for
action either (injury). GWU has seen five of its top eight players
miss a total of 12 combined games worth of action already this
season after several injuries.
The Runnin' Bulldogs face a still test in their first ever Big
South Conference game on Thursday, December 4, as they travel to
meet Radford at 7 pm ET. The Highlanders were picked ahead of GWU
in the preseason coaches' poll, and were picked to win the league
by Street & Smith's/Sporting News.
| Box Score |
