Tuesday, January 9
Boiling Springs, N.C.
7:00 PM
Gardner-Webb University
vs
High Point
Photo by: Courtesy Ryan Gunter | Gardner-Webb University
Men's Basketball Hosts Red Hot High Point Tuesday Night (7:00 PM)
January 08, 2018 | Men's Basketball
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb hosts on of the hottest teams in the Big South Conference on Tuesday night, with High Point (7-7, 2-1 Big South) rolling into Paul Porter Arena. The Panthers are coming off a pair of double-digit wins in league play. Tuesday's action will stream live on the Big South Network, with Fabian Fuentes on the call.
GARDNER-WEBB NOTES
• Gardner-Webb saw its four-game win streak snapped on Saturday, dropping a 79-73 decision at Longwood. The 'Dogs
led by as many as nine points in the first half, but saw the Lancers heat up in the final 20 minutes to lose their first
game to Longwood since 2008.
• Senior guard Liam O'Reilly has seen a surge in his production this season, particularly since Big South play started.
The Austin, Texas, marksman is averaging 21.3 points per game and shoot 50.0 percent from long distance against
Big South foes. He is also pulling down 6.3 reboundds and dishing off 2.7 assists per game (35.3 minutes per game).
• High Point leads the all-time series with Gardner-Webb by a slim, 27-26, margin ... The two schools' have played since
their days as NAIA programs in the 1970s (District 26) ... Gardner-Webb and High Point split last year's series, with each
winning on the others' home court ... GWU won the rubber match in the Big South Conference quarterfinals …
HPU has won three in a row in Paul Porter Arena, and four of six dating back to 2009-2010.
• Gardner-Webb is 5-0 at home so far this season (2-0 vs. Division I foes), and is averaging 91.8 points per game in
those victories (54.4 FG%). The Runnin' Bulldogs closed out a 58-55 win over Liberty on December 30 with its best
defensive effort of the season to date.
• Guard David Efianayi scored 26 of his career-high 31 points after halftime in last week's overtime rally at
Campbell. Efianayi also set a new career-mark with eight assists in the criticial road win. The Orlando, Fla., native
previously scored 31 points in a neutral site win over Howard on November 19, 2016.
• O'Reilly has knocked in at least seven 3-point shots twice already in 2017-2018. He made 8-of-10 vs. Warren Wilson
and drained 7-of-11 against Liberty. O'Reilly's previous career-best for a single game was five.
• O'Reilly was named Big South Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday (Jan. 2), the second time this season a GWU
player has been honored by the league.
• Including its overtime loss to top-seed and eventual tournament champion Winthrop in the Big South Conference
semis last season, Gardner-Webb was 1-6 in games decided by either one possession or overtime. Four of its seven
regular season Big South losses came by either one possession or in overtime, including a double-OT loss to Liberty
on February 9 ... GWU is 3-3 in close games this season, falling at UCF (68-65), to Jacksonville in triple OT on a neutral
court and at Longwood (1/6). GWU held off Hampton, 80-79, for a win on December 17, beat Liberty, 58-55, on
December 30 and rallied past Campbell for an 82-80 overtime win on January 3.
• Efianayi has made 38 of his last 44 free throws (86.3%). The redshirt junior slasher ranks fifth in the Big South
Conference with 17.1 points per game and has improved his overall shooting percentages this season. Efianayi is
62-of-79 from the charity stripe overall this season (78.5%).
• Reserve forward Patrick Zeck (6-7, 225, So.) made his first career start in the post vs. USC Upstate (12/2) and
responded with career-high totals in scoring (13) and rebounding (14). His 14 rebounds were nearly as many as
USC Upstate had as a team (15). Zeck finished with more defensive rebounds (11) than the entire Upstate roster (10).
• Gardner-Webb remains shorthanded in the frontcourt, with center Brandon Miller out for an extended period with an
injury. GWU played with standout forward DJ Laster hampered by the flu early in Big South Conference play as well.
Wing Jamaal Robateau is back healthy after missing five games earlier this season with an injury.
Gardner-Webb hosts on of the hottest teams in the Big South Conference on Tuesday night, with High Point (7-7, 2-1 Big South) rolling into Paul Porter Arena. The Panthers are coming off a pair of double-digit wins in league play. Tuesday's action will stream live on the Big South Network, with Fabian Fuentes on the call.
GARDNER-WEBB NOTES
• Gardner-Webb saw its four-game win streak snapped on Saturday, dropping a 79-73 decision at Longwood. The 'Dogs
led by as many as nine points in the first half, but saw the Lancers heat up in the final 20 minutes to lose their first
game to Longwood since 2008.
• Senior guard Liam O'Reilly has seen a surge in his production this season, particularly since Big South play started.
The Austin, Texas, marksman is averaging 21.3 points per game and shoot 50.0 percent from long distance against
Big South foes. He is also pulling down 6.3 reboundds and dishing off 2.7 assists per game (35.3 minutes per game).
• High Point leads the all-time series with Gardner-Webb by a slim, 27-26, margin ... The two schools' have played since
their days as NAIA programs in the 1970s (District 26) ... Gardner-Webb and High Point split last year's series, with each
winning on the others' home court ... GWU won the rubber match in the Big South Conference quarterfinals …
HPU has won three in a row in Paul Porter Arena, and four of six dating back to 2009-2010.
• Gardner-Webb is 5-0 at home so far this season (2-0 vs. Division I foes), and is averaging 91.8 points per game in
those victories (54.4 FG%). The Runnin' Bulldogs closed out a 58-55 win over Liberty on December 30 with its best
defensive effort of the season to date.
• Guard David Efianayi scored 26 of his career-high 31 points after halftime in last week's overtime rally at
Campbell. Efianayi also set a new career-mark with eight assists in the criticial road win. The Orlando, Fla., native
previously scored 31 points in a neutral site win over Howard on November 19, 2016.
• O'Reilly has knocked in at least seven 3-point shots twice already in 2017-2018. He made 8-of-10 vs. Warren Wilson
and drained 7-of-11 against Liberty. O'Reilly's previous career-best for a single game was five.
• O'Reilly was named Big South Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday (Jan. 2), the second time this season a GWU
player has been honored by the league.
• Including its overtime loss to top-seed and eventual tournament champion Winthrop in the Big South Conference
semis last season, Gardner-Webb was 1-6 in games decided by either one possession or overtime. Four of its seven
regular season Big South losses came by either one possession or in overtime, including a double-OT loss to Liberty
on February 9 ... GWU is 3-3 in close games this season, falling at UCF (68-65), to Jacksonville in triple OT on a neutral
court and at Longwood (1/6). GWU held off Hampton, 80-79, for a win on December 17, beat Liberty, 58-55, on
December 30 and rallied past Campbell for an 82-80 overtime win on January 3.
• Efianayi has made 38 of his last 44 free throws (86.3%). The redshirt junior slasher ranks fifth in the Big South
Conference with 17.1 points per game and has improved his overall shooting percentages this season. Efianayi is
62-of-79 from the charity stripe overall this season (78.5%).
• Reserve forward Patrick Zeck (6-7, 225, So.) made his first career start in the post vs. USC Upstate (12/2) and
responded with career-high totals in scoring (13) and rebounding (14). His 14 rebounds were nearly as many as
USC Upstate had as a team (15). Zeck finished with more defensive rebounds (11) than the entire Upstate roster (10).
• Gardner-Webb remains shorthanded in the frontcourt, with center Brandon Miller out for an extended period with an
injury. GWU played with standout forward DJ Laster hampered by the flu early in Big South Conference play as well.
Wing Jamaal Robateau is back healthy after missing five games earlier this season with an injury.
Players Mentioned
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