GWU Men Return To Action At 7 PM On New Year's Eve In Paul Porter Arena
December 30, 2008 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb will return to action
on Wednesday night at 7:00 in Paul Porter Arena, hosting Anderson
(S.C.) in a New Year's Eve men's hoops battle.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (4-7) have won two straight and four out of
the last seven entering the final game of the 2008 calendar year,
and have gotten their offense on track in the past two outings
– averaging a strong 90.5 ppg in wins over Western Carolina
and Ferrum.
Anderson (3-5), which plays in the NCAA Division II Conference
Carolinas, has dropped two in a row – at Liberty and against
North Georgia – heading into Wednesday's meeting. The Trojans
are scoring at a solid clip so far this season (74.2 ppg), with
Jarrett Johnson leading the way with 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds
per game.
Gardner-Webb has gotten strong play from its usual suspects in
2008-09, with guards Grayson Flittner (16.5 ppg) and Aaron Linn
(13.3 ppg) pushing tempo and shooting well overall. Forward Nate
Blank has followed up an All-Freshman season nicely with 10.3 ppg,
but the team's success of late has hinged on the play of 6-foot-8,
235-pound junior center Auryn MacMillan.
The Melbourne, Australia, native averaged 16.5 points and shot 80
percent in the team's two most recent wins, a stretch that came
after he scored a career-best 17 points in a competitive loss at
Wichita State on December 12. MacMillan is averaging career-high
numbers in scoring (9.6 ppg), rebounding 5.3 ppg) and shooting
percentage (63.5 pct) in 10 starts this season, and will be asked
to continue his improved play into the new year.
Flittner, who netted 31 points at Western Carolina on December 17,
was named Big South Conference Player of the Week on December 22.
Forward Joshua Henley, who leads the league with 9.5 rebounds per
game – and hauled down 21 boards in 23 minutes vs. Ferrum
– was named the Big South's Freshman of the Week that same
afternoon.
Flittner, a junior who earned preseason All-Conference honors, has
supplied his normal dose offensively, hitting 31-of-81 shots so far
from the bonusphere and a sizzling 38-of-41 from the free throw
stripe (92.7 percent). The Sharpsville, Ind., native has made 20
free throws in a row, dating back to his last miss at South
Carolina on November 25.
Wednesday's game will be Gardner-Webb's third home tilt of the
season. The next home game will be Saturday's Big South Conference
home opener vs. national scoring leader VMI (Jan. 3, 7:00 pm
ET).
