GAME PREVIEW: Gardner-Webb Hosts Furman Saturday In Regional Showdown
December 12, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GWU Game Notes | Gameday Central
The Game
Gardner-Webb hosts Southern Conference and regional rival Furman on Saturday, December 13 at 7:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena. The game will air live on the Big South Network.
Series Notes
This marks the third meeting between Gardner-Webb and Furman, which each team winning one of the previous two matchups. The Paladins won the last meeting between the two schools on November 12, 2013 in Greenville, S.C. by a score of 75-64.
The Coaches
Gardner-Webb's Tim Craft is in his second season with the Runnin' Bulldogs, leading GWU to an 18-15 record last winter while being named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award.
Niko Nedved is in his second year at the helm of the Furman men's basketball program, leading the Paladins to an 11-26 record in that span, which includes a 2-5 mark so far this season. The Paladins currently sport a 1-0 record in Southern Conference play after defeating Samford, 74-64, last Saturday.
Last Time Out
Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) and Jerome Hill (Adel, Ga.) each recorded a double-double, and Jarvis Davis (Columbia, S.C.) added 14 points to lead Gardner-Webb to a 82-66 win over Thomas University (Ga.) in non-conference play on Saturday evening in Paul Porter Arena.
Gardner-Webb (5-4) shot 46 percent from the floor on the night, including a 47 percent clip in the first half, while limiting Thomas (9-1) to a field goal percentage of 40.7 percent in the contest. The Runnin' Bulldogs won the battle on the glass by a 46-30 margin, including a 16-10 advantage on the offensive glass, while converting those 16 offensive boards into 17 second-chance points.
Nelson led the way for Gardner-Webb with 18 points and 11 rebounds, recording his second double-double of the season as Hill added his third with 17 points and a game-high 12 boards. Davis chipped in 14 points with a perfect 8-for-8 night at the free throw line as Tyler Strange (Leominster, Mass.) and Harold McBride (Bronx, N.Y.) dished out nine and seven assists, respectively.
Looking at Furman
Furman is off to a 2-5 start this term, registering an early-season victory over Appalachian State before opening Southern Conference play with a 74-64 win against Samford last weekend. The Paladins are led by Stephn Croone, who enters tonight's contest averaging a team-high 18.0 points per game while converting 35-of-42 attempts at the free throw line this season.
Geoff Beans follows closely behind at 13.3 points per game, scoring 40 points in three appearances this season, while Daniel Fowler and Kendrec Ferrara have combined for 16.1 points per contest. Kris Acox leads the way on the glass with an average of 6.4 boards per game.
