Brown Sinks Game-Winner to Push GWU Past Presbyterian, 54-52, for First Big South Win
December 08, 2013 | Women's Basketball
Clinton, S.C. - Candace Brown scored the game-winning layup with :20 remaining, giving Gardner-Webb the lead and culminating a gritty 54-52 road win on the road against Presbyterian on Saturday evening.
Brown's 2-pointer in the paint gave GWU the lead at 53-52 with just twenty seconds remaining in the 2nd half. Prior to the go-ahead score, the Runnin' Bulldogs had not led since owning a 46-45 advantage at the 7:32 mark in the 2nd half.
Jasmine Dale led the team with 16 points, Catrina Green added a 12 point - 14 rebound double-double, and Jessica Heilig added 12 points.
GWU stormed out of the gates to take control of the game early, getting a layup from Olivia Parker for a 14-4 lead with 12:20 left in the 1st.
Presbyterian rattled off a 13-1 run to grab the lead, but a 3-pointer from Brown (Hinton, W.Va.) gave the Runnin' Bulldogs the lead, 18-17, and ended a scoring drought over 4 minutes in length.
Another bucket by Brown, this time a slashing drive and layup, tied the score at 20-20 at the 5:29 mark. Back-to-back jumpers by Jessica Heilig and Dale put GWU in front, 24-22, with 3:55 left in the 1st.
Gardner-Webb took a 29-27 lead into the break thanks to a 3-pointer from freshman Kiera Currie.
Dale (LaVergne, Tenn.) connected on two key 3-pointers in a low-scoring start to the 2nd half. The first, netted at the 17:03 mark, sparked a 5-0 run that gave GWU a 34-32 lead, and another from long distance at the 11:30 mark, followed by Green's layup with 10:42 to play, made it 46-40 for the visitors.
Presbyterian responded with another game-changing run, as Gardner-Webb was held off the scoreboard for over six minutes of game play. A 12-3 Blue Hose run, culminated by Sherece Smith's layup to give the home team a 52-49 lead, was stopped when Heilig scored in the paint with 4:04 left in the game, trimming PC's lead to 52-51.
GWU took the lead, 53-52, when Brown broke a drought in which neither team scored for over 3 minutes of play, netting the biggest bucket of the game to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the lead with :20 left.
Gardner-Webb's defense came through again, getting a stop and a free throw to seal the 54-52 road win.
Gardner-Webb finished with a decisive edge on the boards, pulling down 43 rebounds compared to Presbyterian's 24. GWU also earned a 22-9 advantage in 2nd chance scoring, and finished shooting 41% (17-41) from the field.
The Runnin' Bulldogs return home to face Wofford on December 14. Tip-off for Saturday's contest is set for 4:30 p.m.
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