GAME PREVIEW: Gardner-Webb Opens Big South Slate Wednesday At Presbyterian
December 30, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GWU Game Notes | Gameday Central
The Game
Gardner-Webb opens its Big South schedule on New Years Eve, making the short trip to Clinton, S.C. to take on Presbyterian at 6:00 pm. The game will air live on the Big South Network.
Series Notes
This marks the 42nd all-time meeting between Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian. The Blue Hose hold a narrow 21-20 edge over the Runnin' Bulldogs in the series, with Gardner-Webb winning the last three matchups.
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.
Greg Nibert is in his 26th season at Presbyterian, carrying 396 career wins into tonight's matchup against 366 losses. Nibert led the Blue Hose to a 2-14 record in the Big South last season and a 6-26 mark overall.
Last Time Out
Jerome Hill (Adel, Ga.) poured in a game-high 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 3-for-5 from downtown, as Tyler Strange (Leominster, Mass.) added a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists to lead Gardner-Webb to a nail-biting 89-84 come-from-behind victory over Purdue on Monday night.
The win marks Gardner-Webb's (8-5) first victory over a Big Ten school since 2005 when the Runnin' Bulldogs defeated Minnesota, 73-72. Gardner-Webb shot 55.4 percent from the floor on the night, including a 64 percent clip in the second half, while knocking down 14-of-25 from behind the arc. Purdue (8-5) won the battle on the glass by a 41-27 margin, including an 18-8 advantage on the offensive boards, while outscoring the Runnin' Bulldogs by a 54-32 mark in the paint.
Hill led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting, connecting on 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, including his first career trey. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward also grabbed nine rebounds to move into fourth on the program's all-time list.
Strange added 18 points with a 6-for-9 night from the field, including a 5-for-6 clip from three, while dishing out a game-high 10 assists. With his 18-point night, Strange moves within three points of the 750-mark for his career.
Jarvis Davis (Columbia, S.C.) and Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively, while Adonis Burbage (Orlando, Fla.) and Isaiah Ivey (Georgetown, Ky.) each tallied five points.
Looking at Presbyterian
The Blue Hose are off to a 4-9 start this season, defeating common opponent Toccoa Falls by a score of 63-40 on November 25 in Clinton. Presbyterian enters tonight's game averaging 3.2 blocks per game, which is tied for fourth in the Big South with Coastal Carolina.
Jordan Downing leads the way for the Blue Hose at 16.1 points per game, knocking down 30-of-75 from behind the arc thus far while also pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game. DeSean Murray (13.0) and William Truss (11.2) are each averaging double figures in scoring behind Downing, as Truss leads the team in rebounding with 8.1 boards per game.
