Gardner-Webb To Open Up Five Game Home Stand On Wednesday Night (Dec. 30) at 7 p.m.
December 29, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's basketball team will open up a five game home stand on Wednesday night, December 30, as the Lady Bulldogs host the Longwood Lancers at 7 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.
Gardner-Webb is off to its best start in school history, as the
Lady Bulldogs are 10-2 on the season. However, the Lady Bulldogs
last game was eight day's ago, a 56-55 come from behind win over
the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Indiana on December
22nd. The Longwood Lancers are 4-10 on the season, yet have
already played a game over the Christmas/Holiday Break. Longwood
is coming off an 84-64 loss at home to VCU on Monday night,
December 28th. This game is the final non-conference game for the
Lady Bulldogs this season and is the first of five straight home
bouts in the friendly confines of Paul Porter Arena. Tip-off is
slated for 7 p.m.
The Lady Bulldogs' hot 10-2 start has received some national
attention, as Gardner-Webb received six votes in last week's
ESPN/USA Today Top-25 Coaches Poll (December 22). Last week's
results marks the third week in a row in which the Lady Bulldogs
have received votes in the national coaches poll this season.
Gardner-Webb is ranked seventh in the nation among NCAA Division I
schools in three-point field-goal percentage, as the Lady Bulldogs
are shooting 41.1 percent from downtown as a team. The GWU
long-range attack is led by juniors Courtney Epps (21-48, 43.8
percent) and Monique Hudson (20-47, 42.6 percent). Fellow junior
guard Dominique Hudson is shooting 42.3 percent (11-26) on the
season, while freshmen Brianna Dillard (5-8, 62.5 percent) and Erin
Boggan (2-3, 66.7 percent) are both shooting over 60 percent from
behind the three-point line.
Gardner-Webb has four players averaging double-digit points thus
far this season in Courtney Epps (11.5 ppg), Margaret Roundtree
(11.4 ppg), Monique Hudson (11.1 ppg) and Dominique Hudson (10.8
ppg). Redshirt-junior center Sandra Vaitkute is sitting close to
the double-digit mark, as she is averaging 9.0 ppg.
Earlier this season, Gardner-Webb posted an eight game winning
streak, its longest winning streak of its NCAA Division I history.
The Lady Bulldogs longest winning streak prior to its current one
was six back in 2007-08. The Lady Bulldogs now are on a current
two-game winning streak, posting wins over Converse College and at
Purdue since its last lost to No. 11 North Carolina back on
December 13th.
Over the last two seasons, Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs,
N.C. has truly become a home for the Lady Bulldogs, as GWU is 17-3
in its last 20 home games. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs were
superb at home posting an 11-2 home record at the friendly confines
of Paul Porter Arena. Gardner-Webb won its first nine home
contests last season, the Lady Bulldogs longest home winning streak
since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000-01. This season GWU is 6-1
at home, having lost its home opener versus Houston on November
13th.
Longwood enters the game on Wednesday night with a 4-10 overall
record and a 1-5 record on the road this season. The Lancers have
dropped two straight contests, an 85-67 loss at No. 25 James
Madison and an 84-64 loss at home to VCU last Monday night.
However, Longwood's one road win came against a Big South
Conference member, as the Lancers defeated High Point 76-68 in High
Point University back on December 18th. The Lancers, who averaged
62.2 points per game, are led by freshman forward Chelsea Coward,
who is the lone Lancer in double-digits in scoring with 10.2 points
per game. Longwood uses a total team effort, as five players,
counting Coward, are averaging over 7.1 points per game. In fact,
the Lancers have nine players averaging more than 17 minutes of
action per game thus far this season. The Lancers are shooting 38.4
percent from the field this season; however, Longwood is allowing
its opponents to shoot 41.6 percent from the floor, including 34.6
percent from behind the three-point line.
Gardner-Webb and Longwood are no strangers, as the two teams have
squared off two times in the last three years, splitting the
overall series at 1-1. In the teams' last meeting, Longwood
defeated Gardner-Webb 66-57 in Farmville, Va. in 2007-08.
Gardner-Webb won the first meeting between these two teams', a
66-44 win at home in Paul Porter Arena in 2006-07.
All of the home Lady Bulldog games will be video streamed by the
Big South Network and can be viewed by going to www.bigsouthsports.com.
Live stats will also be available at www.GWUsports.com.
Every week throughout the 2009-10 women's basketball season, the
Gardner-Webb athletic media relations' office will produce game
notes featuring the upcoming contests and reviewing the previous
games.
Click on the pdf link below on the game notes you would like to view.
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| Game 13 Notes: Longwood vs. Gardner-Webb |
