Gardner-Webb Drops Fourth Straight In 72-66 Loss To Savannah State Saturday
November 27, 2011 | Men's Basketball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Gardner-Webb could not find its shooting touch in the second half Saturday afternoon and Savannah State shot a sizzling 87.5 percent in the final 20 minutes to top the Runnin' Bulldogs, 72-66, at McKenzie Arena.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Gardner-Webb (2-5), which shot 40.7 in the second half. Savannah State (2-5) snapped a four-game slide by hitting 14-of-16 field goals in the second half, with most of its chances coming in or near the paint.
The Runnin' Bulldogs have held a halftime lead in each of its last two losses, and led 35-34 at the break Saturday -
getting eight points each from Stefon Johnson and Kevin Hartley in the first 20 minutes. The Runnin' Bulldogs played the majority of the half without the services of guard Jason Dawson, who was saddled with foul trouble.
Savannah State wasted little time seizing control of the game out of the locker room, however, scoring eight unanswered to go up 42-35 with 16:15 to play, as Gardner-Webb turned the ball over three in its first four possessions and missed its first six of its first seven shots.
The Tigers pushed the lead to 47-39 with just over 13 minutes to play, knocking down several shots from inside the paint - with forward Rashad Hassan doing much of the damage during the half's early stages. Forward Arnold Louis took over midway through the half, knocking down three mid-range jumpers after Gardner-Webb had twice trimmed the lead to one possession, giving Savannah State a 56-49 lead with 7:01 to play.
Gardner-Webb would not be able to get the margin closer than five points the rest of the way, as Savannah State made just enough free throws to keep its lead safe in the final minute.
Dawson scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the second half to pace Gardner-Webb, which shot 41.5 percent for the game (22-of-53). Laron Buggs added 13 and Johnson scored 12 to go with eight rebounds. Max Landis and Hartley each scored eight.
Savannah State was led by Hassan (19 points, seven rebounds) and Louis (15 points, seven rebounds), who combined to hit 13-of-17 shots on the day. Cedric Smith added 12 points for the Tigers, who shot 61.9 percent for the game (26-of-42) and outscored Gardner-Webb 44-20 in the paint. Savannah State made just 1-of-10 shots from long distance.
Gardner-Webb will face host Chattanooga on Sunday at 3:00 pm in the final game of the 2011 Hoosier Classic. The Mocs defeated Savannah State, 65-63, on Friday night in McKenzie Arena.
| Box Score (PDF) |
