CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The Runnin' Bulldogs played stingy defense and placed four players in double figures, including a game- and career-high 22 points from Jarvis Davis (Columbia, S.C.) in a 80-67 win over The College of Charleston on Monday night in non-conference action.
Gardner-Webb (1-1) shot 39 percent (27-of-63) from the floor on the night, including a 7-for-18 clip from downtown, while holding The College of Charleston (1-1) to a field goal percentage of 32 percent (23-of-59) in the contest. The Runnin' Bulldogs won the battle on the glass by a 46-40 margin, including a 13-8 advantage on the offensive boards, while holding a 32-28 edge in the paint.
Davis led the way for Gardner-Webb with a game- and career-high 22 points, knocking down 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, as Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) and Jerome Hill (Adel, Ga.) each posted a double-double.
Both Nelson and Hill pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds while scoring 19 and 18 points, respectively. Tyler Strange (Leominster, Mass.) chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and eight assists while surpassing the 400-assist plateau for his career.
Joe Chealey led the way for Charleston with 17 points, as Adjehi Baru and Donovan Gilmore each added a double-double. Baru tallied 10 points and 12 boards while Gilmore posted 10 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Stitt chipped in 12 points with a 5-for-10 night from the floor.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came out firing in the opening five minutes with Davis knocking down three straight from beyond the arc, the last of which gave Gardner-Webb a 12-4 lead with 14:54 left on the clock off Strange's 400th career assist. Charleston quickly answered with a 9-0 run, tying the game at 12-12 on a three-pointer by Johnson and taking its first lead of the night on the ensuing free throw to complete the four-point play.
After the Runnin' Bulldogs countered with back-to-back baskets from Nelson and Hill, the Cougars rebounded with a 4-1 spurt to trim the margin to 18-17 following a lay-in from Baru. Gardner-Webb answered right back with a 10-4 run over the next four minutes, stretching the advantage to 28-21 after Davis knocked down his fourth trey of the evening with 3:25 left on the clock.
Charleston wasted little time in replying, fighting back to tie the score at 28-28 with a 7-0 run that was capped by a three-ball from Stitt at the 1:52 mark. The Runnin' Bulldogs would refuse to cede control, scoring four of the half's final seven points to take a narrow 32-31 lead into the break following a three-point play by Badu with nine ticks left.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came out strong in the second half, opening the period with an 11-1 surge to push the lead to 43-32 following a clutch three-point play by Nelson at the 15:33 mark. Gardner-Webb kept the peddle down over the next three minutes, stretching the margin to 54-34 with another 11-2 run that was capped by a nifty up-and-under drive by Strange with 12:23 to go.
Charleston clawed back with a 12-1 spurt, trimming the margin to single digits at 55-46 following a Chealey lay-in at the 7:26 mark. Gardner-Webb responded down the stretch, weathering a late run by the Cougars that cut the lead to eight and outscoring Charleston, 16-12, in the final four minutes to close out the victory.
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Friday, November 21 in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, taking on Atlantic Coast Conference Clemson at 2:30 p.m. in the Runnin' Bulldogs' first game in the prestigious Paradise Jam.
