Gardner-Webb to Tip-Off Five-Game Road Trip at No. 13 Louisville on Saturday Afternoon
December 08, 2011 | Women's Basketball
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
DATE: Dec. 10, 2011
SITE: KFC Yum! Center (22,000)
TIP-OFF: 12:00 p.m. (ET)
INTERNET: CardsTV (www.uoflsports.com)
TALENT: N/A
LIVE STATS: www.uoflsports.com
SERIES: First-ever meeting.
SERIES VS. LOUISVILLE
GWU has never faced off with the Cardinals of Louisville, who are members of the Big East Conference. The Cardinals are the third nationally ranked top-25 team that the Runnin' Bulldogs will face off with this season having already lost to #19 North Carolina and #6 Duke. Gardner-Webb is 0-2 versus the Big East since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000-01, with both losses coming to Georgetown. GWU is 0-7 overall versus nationally ranked opponents since 2000-01.
A RARITY FOR THE RUNNIN' BULLDOGS
GWU's 0-7 start this season is the Runnin' Bulldogs worst start under head coach Rick Reeves in his eight seasons at the helm of the women's basketball program. The 0-7 start is GWU's worst start since beginning the 2003-04 at 0-10, the year prior to Coach Reeves' arrival to Boiling Springs, N.C.
LAST TIME OUT
GWU freshman guard Eliana Scanlon led all scorers with a career-high 19 points, as the Runnin' Bulldogs second half run came up short in a 58-50 loss to Wofford College at home last Saturday in Paul Porter Arena. The Terriers got off to a hot start, as Wofford took a 9-0 lead in the first three minutes of the contest, putting GWU on their heels early in the contest. A 7-2 run by the Runnin' Bulldogs, capped off by a free throw from Scanlon cut the Terriers lead to four at 11-7 with 12:56 to go in the opening half. However, a three-pointer by Morgan Wrightson at the 8:49 mark pushed the visitors in front by double-digits at 20-9, as Gardner-Webb would not get any closer for the remainder of the first half and found themselves down 29-17 heading into the halftime break. After Wofford pushed their lead to as high as 14 at 35-21 on a layup by Logan Morris at the 16:07 mark of the second half, GWU answered with a 9-1 run, highlighted by five straight points by Scanlon, to cut the Terrier lead to six at 36-30 with 12:45 to play in regulation. Yet, the Runnin' Bulldogs would see their efforts go to the waste side, as Wofford responded with a 12-4 run of their own to pull out to 14 once more at 48-34 with 7:18 to go in the contest. Refusing to quit, GWU drained six straight free throws over the next three minutes to get within eight points of the Terriers at 50-42 with 4:36 on the scoreboard. Again Wofford had an answer, as back-to-back layups by Wrightson helped the Terriers push their lead back to double digits and hold on for the 58-50 non-conference win over the Runnin' Bulldogs.
GWU WILL RETURN IN HOME AFTER THE NEW YEAR
Gardner-Webb will not return home until after the New Year, as GWU's next five games are all on the road. The Runnin' Bulldogs next home game is against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7th, at 5 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.
| Game 8: Gardner-Webb at No. 13 Louisville |
