Gardner-Webb Defense Sparks 78-42 Win Over Virginia Intermont Thursday
November 19, 2010 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS - Gardner-Webb limited Virginia Intermont to just 12 field goals and led by as many as 38 points in a 78-42 rout Thursday night at Paul Porter Arena.
Jonathan Moore led Gardner-Webb (3-1) with 18 points, Luke Davis added 11 points and six assists, Stefon Johnson scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Brian McNair came off the bench with 10 points to pace the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb bolted to a 19-1 lead in the first half, as Virginia Intermont (2-5) missed its first 12 shots. The Cobras did pull within eight points by halftime - heating up to knock down seven three-pointers - but would not be able to get any closer.
The Runnin' Bulldogs clamped down defensively after intermission, and used that effort to spark a 25-1 run to put the game away. The 'Dogs held Virginia Intermont to just 14 points in the final 20 minutes (3-of-19 field goals) and did not allow a made, second-half basket until 9:24 remained in the game and GWU held a 61-31 lead.
The 'Dogs had played its entire roster with just over 10 minutes to remaining in the game, and saw all 13 players log at least six minutes in the game.
"We came out with better competitiveness in the second half," said first-year head coach Chris Holtmann. "We had guys step up and makes plays on both ends of the court. The defensive effort was solid overall, and we need it to continue to be that way."
Gardner-Webb was forced to operate offensively against a zone for the entire game, and connected on 11 three-point baskets. GWU did not go away from the paint, however, owning a 34-6 edge in that area and converting 17 offensive rebounds into 18 points.
Defensively, the 'Dogs blocked six shots, pilfered five steals, forced 16 turnovers and limited Virginia Intermont to just 12-of-50 shooting for the game (24.0 percent). GWU also held a 49-35 edge on the glass and got 36 points from its bench in an all-around strong performance.
In addition to the four men in double digits, Gardner-Webb got five points and 11 rebounds from Josh Henley, eight points from Luke Engelken and seven points from Mike Byron.
The Cobras, who entered Thursday's game averaging 78.8 points on the season, got 11 points off the bench from forward Wade Bryant and nine from Daniel Ross.
| Box Score (PDF) |
