DAYTON, Ohio – Gardner-Webb dropped its third game in a row Sunday, falling to Jacksonville in a 106-99 triple overtime decision on the final day of the 2017 Wright State Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament.
David Efianayi scored 27 points,
DJ Laster added 20 points,
Liam O'Reilly scored 17 points to go with a career-best 12 rebounds and
Brandon Miller came off the bench for a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Jaheam Cornwall also had 13 points off the bench for Gardner-Webb (2-6).
The Runnin' Bulldogs led by 10 points midway through the second half, only to see Jacksonville seize control with a 26-5 run that put the Dolphins up 71-60 with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
Gardner-Webb turned the tables quickly, with
David Efianayi and
Liam O'Reilly teaming up to spark a 16-5 run that tied the game when
Patrick Zeck followed a miss just before the final horn to tie the game at 76-76.
After Jacksonville (3-4) took an 83-80 lead with less than a minute remaining in overtime,
DJ Laster stepped into a three-pointer from the top of the key – tying the game with 17.7 seconds on the clock.
Devin Harris had the last shot, but his short jumper hit off the front rim to send the game to a second overtime.
Gardner-Webb missed its first three shots in the second extra period, and Jacksonville jumped out to an 87-83 lead after two free throws and a transition layup with 2:57 left.
Laster tied the score on a follow of his own miss with 2:02 left and
Christian Turner knocked down a free throw with 1:45 left for an 88-87 lead.
After the teams traded empty possessions, Harris got inside and went to the line with 39.4 seconds left. His first free throw tied the game but his second was off the mark.
Gardner-Webb turned the ball over with 12.1 seconds left and Harris drove deep for a foul and two free throws with 4.6 seconds left. He missed both and Efianayi's heave from just inside half court was short.
Jacksonville took an early lead in the third overtime, going up 95-92 after a pair of Hogan free throws with 3:15 on the clock. An Efianayi drive cut the lead to 95-94 and
Jaheam Cornwall made the second of two free throws to tie the game, 95-95, with 2:28 left.
Hogan got loose inside again for a short tap in and Jacksonville pushed the lead to 100-95 on an old-fashioned trifecta by Harris with 1:29 left.
Gardner-Webb missed its next three field goal chances and Harris sank two free throws with 37.7 seconds left to effectively ice the game.
After a slow start to the first half, Cornwall connected on a three from the right wing to put GWU up 23-20 and the 'Dogs added inside baskets from Miller and Laster to go up 27-22 with 6:55 on the first half clock. That lead expanded to 32-24 after driving layup from Efianayi and a three-pointer late in the shot clock from Laster with 4:56 left.
Jacksonville rallied, going on a 10-0 run to take a 34-32 lead at the 2:35 mark. The Dolphins went to full court pressure and an active zone to slow Gardner-Webb down – and turn the Runnin' Bulldogs over on four-straight possessions.
A transition drive and layup for Efianayi tied the score with 1:20 left in the half and, after the Dolphins scored on the other end, Cornwall put GWU up 37-36 with a trey at 32.3 seconds left. Gardner-Webb got a stop on Jacksonville's final possession to take its first halftime lead of the weekend.
Gardner-Webb built a 53-43 lead early in the second half, but Jacksonville chipped away at that margin. The Dolphins used an 11-2 run to pull within 55-54 at the 9:54 mark, as Gardner-Webb cooled off from the field and ran into turnover problems once again during that stretch.
The two teams traded baskets over the next several possessions after a Zeck trey late in the shot clock snapping a long drought for the 'Dogs. Gardner-Webb couldn't create much space, as Jacksonville's Hogan connected on an and-one from the left baseline to make it 60-59 with 7:41 to play in the game.
It was the first of three-straight trips for Hogan baskets, which sparked a 5-0 run that put Jacksonville up 71-60 with 2:49 left. It was part of a larger 26-5 run that changed the game's complexion.
The Runnin' Bulldogs didn't go away quietly. Efianayi sank three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to trim the lead to 71-66 with 1:20 on the clock – but Harris drove for a layup with 56.2 seconds left to give Jacksonville a three-possession lead.
Another Efianayi basket cut the lead back to five points (73-68) with 32.3 seconds left, and Gardner-Webb was forced to foul from there. A pair of misses at the line by Jacksonville kept Gardner-Webb alive, and a trey by O'Reilly with 22.3 seconds left made the score 73-71.
Jacksonville's J.D. Notae made both free throws with 19.7 seconds left to make the score 75-71, but O'Reilly came hard off a screen and nailed another bonus ball from the top of the key – making the score 75-74 with 11.8 seconds left.
The Dolphins' Tanner Rubio went to the line with 10.5 seconds left and made the first of two free throws, setting up a wild finish. After Efianayi's layup bounced off the rim, Zeck came from the weak side to follow off the glass just before the buzzer.
That set up the three overtime periods, with Gardner-Webb unable to produce enough offense in the third segment.
Turnovers were a problem for the third game in a row, as GWU coughed up 18 turnovers in regulation – and 20 for the game. That led to a sizable advantage for Jacksonville, which outscored Gardner-Webb 23-1 in points off of turnovers.
GWU averaged 20.3 turnovers per game during the three-day event at Wright State.
The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 43.6 percent for the game (34-of-78) and made 12-of-35 from long range (34.3 percent). Gardner-Webb was outscored 31-13 at the free throw line, as Jacksonville made 31-of-41 chances in the game.
Hogan led Jacksonville with 29 points and Harris poured in 25. Notae (17 points) and Helgeland (17 points) also reached double figures for the Dolphins.
Gardner-Webb will enjoy five days off before getting back to action on Saturday, December 2, at home vs. USC Upstate. The game will tip at 3:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena (Big South Network).
