GAME PREVIEW: 'Dogs Set To Host High Point In Blackout Game
December 04, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Game Notes | Live Stats | Video
The Lead - Top Storylines for Saturday's Game
1. The Matchup
Both Gardner-Webb and High Point opened Big South play with victories over Presbyterian and Longwood, respectively, on Wednesday evening. The Panthers are off to a 5-2 start this season with a 75-66 win over Drexel to their credit thus far. Saturday's matchup is the 49th all-time meeting between the league foes, with High Point currently holding a 25-23 edge after the Runnin' Bulldogs defeated the Panthers, 72-71, in an overtime thriller at the Big South Championships last spring.
2. Senior Leadership
The Runnin' Bulldog starting five has featured at least three seniors in every game this season, with Harold McBride, Dylan Poston, Isaiah Ivey and Herve Aholode playing a big role in getting Gardner-Webb going in each of the team's first eight outings. Adonis Burbage has provided a significant scoring spark off the bench in each of the last five games, averaging 11.4 points per game in that span while knocking down 48.1 percent of his attempts from three-point range.
3. Craft Era Hits Year Three
Tim Craft enters his third season at the helm of the Gardner-Webb men's basketball program, having led the Runnin' Bulldogs to 38 wins over the past two years. A former assistant with the Runnin' Bulldogs in the mid-2000's, Craft guided Gardner-Webb to a 20-15 mark last season, including a berth in the Big South semifinals as a No. 7 seed and a trip to the Collegiate Basketball Invitational.
4. Last Time Out - Gardner-Webb 87, Presbyterian 76
Gardner-Webb opened Big South play with an 87-76 win at Presbyterian on Wednesday, placing four players in double figures and connecting on 12-of-22 three-pointers. Tyrell Nelson led the way with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Harold McBride and Dylan Poston chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively. Adonis Burbage added 13 points off the bench for the Runnin' Bulldogs in their fifth straight win over the Blue Hose.
5. Taking a Look At High Point
High Point - the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Big South regular season title - enters Saturday's showdown with a 5-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in league play following a convincing 90-66 win over Longwood on Wednesday. The Panthers are led by two-time Big South Preseason Player of the Year John Brown, who currently leads High Point in both scoring (19.7) and rebounding (7.4). Lorenzo Cugini and Adam Weary each provide some scoring punch as well with averages of 14.4 and 12.1 points per game, respectively.
