Chris Holtmann Era Begins with 78-70 Win Over Charlotte Friday
November 13, 2010 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Senior forward Jonathan Moore's 24 points led Gardner-Webb to a 78-70 win over Charlotte Friday afternoon to kick off the 2010-11 season, giving head coach Chris Holtmann a victory in his head coaching debut.
Charlotte took control early, building up a 12 point lead with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half on the strength of Jamar Briscoe's 20 points in the half, yet the Runnin' Bulldogs slowly chipped away at the 49ers lead, cutting the margin to two at the half, with the score sitting at 34-32.
Turnovers were the story of the first half, with the 49ers having 11 and the Runnin' Bulldogs having nine in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Play remained close throughout the second half of play, with Gardner-Webb taking the lead for the first time with 10:57 left following a three pointer by Laron Buggs, and the Runnin' Bulldogs claimed the lead for good with 8:56 remaining after a trey by Luke Davis.
Free throws were crucial down the stretch for the Runnin' Bulldogs, as Moore made seven shots from the charity stripe within the final five minutes to seal the victory for GWU. Sharp shooting by the Runnin' Bulldogs in the second half was also key in the victory as they went 15-24 from the field, while the 49ers struggled, going 12-42.
Moore led Gardner-Webb with 24 points and nine rebounds. Buggs scored 10 points with seven rebounds, and Stefon Johnson scored nine points. Charlotte's Briscoe scored 30 points to lead all scorers.
"This is an exciting time for our kids. I thought they really battled through some adversity." stated Gardner-Webb head coach Chris Holtmann following the game. "They had some jitters early on, being a young team, but they overcame them and I'm really proud of the way our guys performed and their effort tonight and am excited to continue to get better as a team."
It was the first time that Gardner-Webb has defeated Charlotte, dropping the previous two meetings. Last season, the 49ers were victorious by a 95-66 score.
Friday's game was the head-coaching debut for both Gardner-Webb's Chris Holtmann and Charlotte's Alan Major. Both were previously assistants in the state of Ohio, as Holtmann was at Ohio University and Major was at Ohio State University before making the move to the head coaching ranks.
Gardner-Webb (1-0) returns to action tomorrow evening, hosting Mary Washington in the 2010-11 home opener at 7:00 PM in Paul Porter Arena. The game will be video streamed live on the Big South Conference's broadband channel, the Big South Network (www.bigsouthsports.com).
| Box Score: Gardner-Webb 78, Charlotte 70 |
