Box Score (PDF)

ASHEVILLE, N.C.-Candace Brown's layup with 9.2 seconds left lifted the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team to a 58-56 victory over first-place UNC Asheville Saturday afternoon in Kimmell Arena.

Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville were tied at 56 with 24 seconds left. Coach Reeves took the team's final timeout and advanced the ball into the frontcourt. Similar to the game earlier this year at Chapel Hill, Brown drove into the lane and hit a short jumper to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the lead.

UNC Asheville took their final timeout but Tianna Knuckle's three-point attempt hit the back of the iron and was no good, giving GWU the win.

With the win, GWU wins its fourth-straight game and improves to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big South Conference, while UNC Asheville falls to 14-3 and 6-2 in conference play.

Olivia Parker paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points and hauled down 13 boards for her eighth double-double of the season, while Brown finished the game with 16 points, nine boards, three assists and two blocks. Knuckles was the only scorer in double-figures for the Bulldogs with 18.

Parker was a beast on the offensive glass grabbing seven rebounds and as a team, GWU outrebounded UNC Asheville 40-31. Sonora Dengkol and Khaila Webb each scored eight points off the bench for the Bulldogs and UNC Asheville had 19 bench points, while GWU had just one.

UNC Asheville opened with the game's first four points on layups by Knuckles and Major, but back-to-back layups by Brown tied the game at four with just over three minutes expired in the opening quarter.

Gardner-Webb extended its leads to four on Brown's sixth point (8-4) and led 12-8 on a bucket by Parker, but both teams would score 12 points in the paint and remained tied at 14 at the end of 10 minutes.

UNC Asheville opened the second quarter on a 14-4 run and would take race out to a 28-18 lead midway through the quarter, but the visitiors would continue to claw bback and Hill's jumper just before cut the defecit to 32-28 at half.

The Runnin' Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second half, starting the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 34-32 lead. Parker hit two free-throws and hauled in an offensive rebound after a missed three by Brown, while Brown connected on a bucket from in the paint to give GWU a 34-32 leads early in the third quarter.

Both teams remained close in the third quarter with neither side holding more than a two point lead and Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville were deadlocked at 43 after three quarters of play.

Two-free throws by Knuckles put UNC Asheville up 51-47 with 4:47 left in the game and her three-point extended the lead to five (56-51) with just over two left.

Hill's layup cut the defecit to three and Parker tied the game at 56 with an old fashioned three-point play. She scored a layup, was fouled and hit the ensuing free-throw.

On the ensuing possession, Knuckles attempted a three-pointer that was no good giving the ball back to GWU. Gardner-Webb took its final timeout and advanced the ball into the front court. Brown drove into the lane and sunk her jump shot to give GWU the win.

Gardner-Webb returns to Paul Porter Arena for its next game Tuesday when it hosts Longwood at 7:00 p.m.