Box Score (PDF)
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.-Alexus Hill scored a career-high 25 points and Gardner-Webb shot 51.0% from the field in a 70-56 victory over Kennesaw State on Tuesday evening in Paul Porter Arena.
This was the best shooting night for Gardner-Webb since it connected on 58.1% of its attempts from the field in a 118-37 victory over Montreat on Nov. 18, 2014.
The Runnin' Bulldogs outrebounded Kennesaw by a 38-29 margin in the game and had their best day at the charity stripe knocking down 16 of their 22 attempts (57.1%).
Alongside Hill's career night, Olivia Parker recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards, while Candace Brown and Tierra Huntsman each chipped in with 11 points.
Ciara Young paced the Owls with 11 points and four assists, while Aareon Smith, Deandrea Sawyers, and Jasmine McAllister each had 10 for the visitors.
The Runnin' Bulldogs opened with the game's first four points and Parker scored a layup to make the score 6-5 with 6:21 left in the opening period, but Kennesaw State answered with 14-3 run to end the quarter, as it led 19-9 after the opening 10 minutes. The Owls held GWU scoreless for 6:02 before Huntsman drilled a three with 19 seconds left in the first period.
Young drilled a jumper with 8:37 left in the second quarter to extend the KSU lead to eight, 19-11, but Gardner-Webb returned the favor with its own 12-4 run to tie the game at 23 on Parker's layup with 3:36 remaining, and GWU would take a 27-26 lead into the locker room as Hill knocked in a layup with eight seconds left in the half.
In the opening 10 minutes of the first half, Kennesaw State led 8-0 in points off turnovers, but it was GWU that held an 8-0 advantage in the second period in the same category.
The Runnin' Bulldogs continued their momentum into the second half of play scoring the opening four points to extend their lead to five, and after a three pointer by Sawyers, the home side went on a quick 8-0 run over the next two minutes to take a 39-29 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter.
Gardner-Webb would hold the lead for the remainder of the game with Kennesaw cutting the defecit to three with 7:03 left in regulation. Evelyn Adebayo's lone basket of the game off a fantastic assist by Hill made the score 62-48 and behind a 56.5% shooting performance in the second half, the Runnin' Bulldogs would go on for the 70-56 victory.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will now travel to Puerto Rico for its next three games before the Christmas Holiday. Gardner-Webb will face Western Michigan (Dec. 19), SMU (Dec. 20), and Arizona (Dec. 21), before heading home to spend a few days with their families.
