Gardner-Webb University
Thomas University
GAME PREVIEW: Gardner-Webb Hosts NAIA II No. 15 Thomas University Saturday
December 06, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GWU Game Notes | Gameday Central
The Game
Gardner-Webb hosts NAIA Division II Thomas University (Ga.) on Saturday, December 6 at 7:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena. The game will air live on the Big South Network.
Series Notes
This marks the first meeting between Gardner-Webb and Thomas.
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.
Stephen Cox is in his second season at the helm of the Thomas University (Ga.) men's basketball program, carrying a 26-14 career record into tonight's matchup that includes a sterling 9-1 mark this season. The Nighthawks are off to a tremendous start to the season, entering tonight ranked No. 15 in NAIA Division II after opening the campaign with nine straight wins.
Last Time Out
Jerome Hill (Adel, Ga.) scored a game-high 20 points and Dylan Poston (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) added 18 with a 6-for-7 night from downtown to lead Gardner-Webb to a 100-61 win over Toccoa Falls on Friday night in Paul Porter Arena.
Gardner-Webb (4-4) shot 56.1 percent from the floor, including a 56.3 percent clip in the second half, while limiting Toccoa Falls (6-4) to a field goal percentage of 36.8 on the night. The Runnin' Bulldogs dominated the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Screaming Eagles by a 52-24 margin and converting 18 offensive boards into 21 second-chance points. Gardner-Webb outscored Toccoa Falls, 46-24, in the paint while scoring 23 points off 17 turnovers.
Hill scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the first half, knocking down each of his eight attempts from the floor on the night to move into ninth on the program's Division I scoring list with 792 career points. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward also pulled down eight rebounds. Poston added 18 points off the bench, all in the second half, with a blistering 6-for-7 night from downtown.
Jarvis Davis (Columbia, S.C.) and Adonis Burbage (Orlando, Fla.) chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, as Corey Hensley (Candler, N.C.) pulled down a career- and game-high 11 rebounds. Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) tallied eight points and eight boards, while Tyler Strange (Leominster, Mass.) dished out a game-high eight assists.
Looking at Thomas (Ga.)
Thomas (Ga.) is off to a superb start, entering tonight's game with a 9-1 record after opening the season with nine straight wins. The Nighthawks are currently ranked 15th in NAIA Division II and feature four players averaging double figures in scoring.
Alan Love leads the way at 19.3 points per game while making only one start and shooting over 64 percent from the floor this season. Adonai Rogers is close behind at 16.5 points per game, as Max Grace and Marcus Humose are averaging 12.9 and 12.1 points per game, respectively.
