FARMVILLE, Va. --- Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) scored 14 points and eight rebounds, surpassing both the 1,000-point and 500-rebound plateaus for his career, to lead Gardner-Webb to a narrow 67-66 win over Longwood on Saturday afternoon in Big South Conference play.
With the victory, Gardner-Webb (8-8, 3-1 Big South) runs its win streak to three and keeps pace with the conference leaders. The win almost marks Gardner-Webb's sixth straight over Longwood and ninth overall.
The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 32.4 percent from the floor while converting 19-of-28 at the free throw line on the afternoon, and held Longwood (4-12, 0-3 Big South) to a field goal percentage of 33.9 percent. Both teams pulled down 45 rebounds in the contest, as Gardner-Webb converted 19 Longwood turnovers into 21 points.
Nelson and Isaiah Ivey (Georgetown, Ky.) paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with 14 points each, as Harold McBride (Bronx, N.Y.) added 11 points and five rebounds. Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) chipped in eight points and a game-high three steals, while Brandon Miller (Orlando, Fla.) tallied a contest- and season-best three blocks.
Shaquille Johnson led all scorers with 19 points for Longwood, as Darrion Allen and Lotanna Nwogbo each posted a double-double. Allen tallied 18 points and 10 boards, while Nwogbo recorded 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half, combining for an 18-of-63 clip overall and a 6-for-27 mark from long range. The Lancers snatched the early advantage, opening a 16-9 lead on a three-point play by Johnson at the 10:03 mark.
Gardner-Webb would counter with a 15-6 run, evening the tally at 22-22 following an Ivey jumper before a pair of free throws from the senior put the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead, 24-22, with 4:10 left on the clock. The Runnin' Buldlogs then closed the first half with a 9-5 spurt to carry a 33-27 lead into the intermission.
Nelson and the Runnin' Bulldogs carried the momentum into the second half, opening the game's first double-digit lead, 40-30, after Nelson banked in a layup to reach the 1,000-point plateau for his career at the 18:37 mark. The Lancers would chip away over the next 10 minutes, closing the gap to 48-46 before a four-point play from Obi-Rapu cut the lead to 51-50 with 7:29 to play.
Longwood pulled ahead moments later, claiming a 54-51 advantage on a dunk by Nwogbo after a pair of Allen free throws put the Lancers in front at the 7:02 mark. Rideau paced an 8-0 Gardner-Webb run to counter the Lancers' spurt, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a 59-54 lead with a steal and an emphatic slam with 5:02 to play.
The Lancers pushed back with a 10-5 spurt of their own, evening the tally at 64-64 after Allen drained a corner three with 2:32 left on the clock. A Nelson lay-in and a pair of Allen free throws knotted the score at 66-66 heading into the final minute, when Rideau forced a Longwood turnover and drew the foul to head to the line with 8.3 seconds left. He missed the first and made the second, putting Gardner-Webb up 67-66 and giving Longwood the last shot.
Nelson then came up big on the defensive end of the floor, swatting the Lancers' initial shot out of play with 1.2 ticks left. Longwood got a good look from the ensuing inbound, finding Khris Lane for an open three from the elbow. Lane loosed the shot right before the buzzer, but the effort hit back iron and fell safely away to secure the hard-fought win for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Wednesday, January 6 when the Runnin' Bulldogs host Campbell in Big South play. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 pm on the Big South Network from Paul Porter Arena.
