DAYTON, Ohio – Gardner-Webb dropped its matchup with host Wright State Friday night, losing 67-47 on the first day of the 2017 Wright State Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (2-4) had trouble with the Raiders' size inside, shooting a season-low 29.4 percent and turning the basketball over a season-high 22 times for the game.
The game was tight through the first 25 minutes, until Wright State (2-3) built a margin just before halftime – going on an 11-2 run over the final five minutes to lead 34-24 at the break.
Liam O'Reilly led Gardner-Webb with 16 points,
David Efianayi added 12 and
Jaheam Cornwall scored six. Wright State's length and bulk inside bothered leading scorer and rebounder D.J. Laster, who fouled out after a season-low three points and two rebounds on 1-of-7 shooting.
Wright State went inside early, taking advantage of 6-foot-9, 275-pound center Loudon Love and 6-foot-11 forward Parker Ernsthausen for a quick 4-0 lead. After the Raiders took a 6-2 lead, Gardner-Webb responded with a 7-0 spurt to go up 9-6.
O'Reilly had five points in that run, including a transition three with just over 16 minutes remaining in the half.
Wright State answered out of the media timeout, clicking off a rapid 8-0 run to go up 14-9 with 13:28 left before halftime.
Gardner-Webb was able to pull back ahead, 16-15, on an Efianayi drive with 9:47 left, capping a 7-1 run. The two teams traded rare baskets the rest of the way, with Wright State taking a 22-20 lead on a pair of free throws just before the under-four media timeout.
After Efianayi cut the Raiders' lead to 23-22 with a pair of free throws at the 3:14 mark, Wright State closed the half on an 11-2 run to lead 34-24 heading into the locker room. Gardner-Webb went the final 6:27 of the first half without a field goal – going 0-for-4 with six turnovers during that stretch.
Cornwall got Gardner-Webb back in the game early in the second half, scoring on back-to-back trips to pull GWU within 38-35 with 14:01 to play.
Wright State had a quick answer, however, going on a 8-0 run over the next three minutes to go up 46-35 with 11:33 left. Gardner-Webb would not be able to mount much of a threat from there, as the Raiders slowly built their lead to as many as 20 points late in the game.
Gardner-Webb endured difficulty shooting the basketball inside and outside, making just 15-of-51 field goal chances (5-of-19 from three-point range).
Wright State shot a solid 46.7 percent for the game (21-of-45) and connected on 21 free throws in the win. Benzinger led the way with 18 points and Hughes added 12 for the Raiders.
Gardner-Webb will battle Fairfield (2-2) on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm (ESPN3). The Stags lost to Jacksonville, 92-84, Friday afternoon in the tournament's opening game.
