Moore, Johnson Lead Gardner-Webb To 59-52 Win At Radford Saturday
December 05, 2010 | Men's Basketball
RADFORD, Va. - Jon Moore scored 18 points and Stefon Johnson scored all 12 of his points in the second half to lead Gardner-Webb to a 59-52 Big South Conference win at Radford Saturday night.
Josh Henley added 10 points and seven rebounds for Gardner-Webb (6-4, 1-1 Big South), which attacked the Radford zone defense more effectively in the second half. The Runnin' Bulldogs trailed 28-24 at the break after making only nine field goals, but went inside to Johnson and Henley early in the second half to tie the game in short order.
Laron Buggs then scored five straight from the perimeter, including a three-pointer with 16:55 left to put Gardner-Webb up 33-28.
Radford (2-5, 0-2 Big South) regained the lead with 13:17 to go on a Jonathan Edwards layup - but Gardner-Webb clamped down on the defensive end and kept the Highlanders off the board to surge back in front.
Radford went nearly four minutes without a point as Gardner-Webb went up 41-36. The 'Dogs led 44-38 after a Moore jumper with 8:29 left, but Radford would make one last spurt to try and gain control.
The Highlanders used an 8-0 run to take a 46-44 lead with 5:19 left, sparking a back-and-forth final five minutes. Gardner-Webb tied the score, 50-50, on a Johnson layup with 2:19 left and - after Edwards missed two free throws at the 1:53 mark - used Moore's touch from long range to seize the lead for good.
The Rogers, Ark., senior drained a three-pointer off a set play on the right wing with 1:29 left to put GWU up 53-50, and the 'Dogs played tough defense the rest of the way. Moore made three of Gardner-Webb's six free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 41.2 percent for the game (21-of-51) and 5-of-16 from long distance and had a positive assist-turnover ratio (15-11). Moore provided three helpers on the night, and Luke Davis dished off a career-high seven assists to go with seven points and five rebounds.
Buggs finished with nine points, as the five GWU starters accounted for all but three of the team's points Saturday in snowy Radford, Va.
Radford shot just 34.8 percent in the second half against an energized Gardner-Webb defense, and made just eight free throws in the game (8-of-18). Edwards was the only Highlander in double digits with 13 points.
Gardner-Webb hits the road again next week, doing battle at Elon on Tuesday (7 pm ET tip), Oklahoma on Thursday (8 pm ET tip) and Arizona State on Saturday (2 pm ET tip).
| Box Score (PDF) |
