BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb men's basketball returns home on Saturday, December 2, hosting USC Upstate at 3:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena.

The home game will the the first for Gardner-Webb since November 21. The Runnin' Bulldogs (2-6) played eight games in the first 15 days of the season, before taking a five-day break in advance of Saturday afternoon's matchup with the Spartans (3-6).

The Runnin' Bulldogs trail USC Upstate by a 12-9 margin in the all-time series, with all but two of those meetings coming when the two programs were members of NAIA and NCAA Division II. Gardner-Webb and the Spartans split the two meetings in 2007-2008, when both were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference – with GWU taking an 82-55 win on February 23, 2008 in Paul Porter Arena.

Head coach Tim Craft's team has leaned on juniors David Efianayi (18.1 ppg) and D.J. Laster (15.1 ppg), along with senior Liam O'Reilly (12.5 ppg) for scoring punch so far this season. With senior wing Jamaal Robateau missing the last four games with an injury, that trio has assumed much of the offensive responsibility.

Laster, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward, has been the most efficient. The Pensacola, Fla., standout has shot 50 percent from the floor, 45.8 percent from long range and is pulling down a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game – including his first career double-double at No. 8 Florida on November 13.

Efianayi, a preseason All-Conference choice at guard, has picked up the scoring pace himself early this season. The Orlando, Fla., native scored 28 points in his last home game (Nov. 21) and netted 27 points in the triple-overtime loss to Jacksonville on November 26.

O'Reilly, a sharpshooter from Austin, Texas, drained 8-of-10 from long range in his home opener this season and is capable of putting up big numbers.

Newcomer Jaheam Cornwall has come off the bench in all eight games, but has averaged 22.9 minutes in those outings at point guard. The Brooklyn, N.Y., freshman had 18 points at No. 8 Florida (Nov. 13) and netted 14 in the overtime loss to Jacksonville last weekend.

The starting lineup has been consistent for much of the season, with Efianayi and Laster joined by center L'Hassane Niangane (6-10, 245, Sr.) and point guard Christian Turner. Either Robateau or O'Reilly has been on the wing in each of the first eight games this season.

One of the Runnin' Bulldogs strengths over the past few seasons has been getting to the free throw line, and Gardner-Webb will look to improve in that category going forward. The squad is averaging just 15.0 free throw attempts per game so far, a full 10 free throws per game less than the 25.0 attempts hoisted by the opposition.

USC Upstate is averaging a solid 76.0 points per game so far, with the group of Malik Moore (14.6 ppg), Deion Holmes (13.1 ppg), Mike Cunningham (12.7 ppg), Ramel Thompkins (12.7 ppg) and Jure Span (10.8 ppg) each averaging in double figures.

Thompkins (42.9 percent) and Span (45.7 percent) have been the top marksmen from long range so far for a team that is making 11.3 shots from three-point range per game (102-of-286, 35.7 percent).

Saturday's game will air live on The Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com).