CANCUN, Mexico – Gardner-Webb used a big second half to blow past UT-Martin, 81-64, Tuesday in the 2019 Cancun Challenge Mayan Division men's basketball semifinals.
 
Jaheam Cornwall scored a career-high 24 points, Kareem Reid came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points to go with five blocked shots and Jose Perez narrowly missed a triple-double with nine points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the win.
 
Ludovic Dufeal added 10 points and five rebounds in the post, as Gardner-Webb (1-5) shot a season-best 55.4 percent for the game – including a 65.4 percent effort in the second half – to pull away.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs used three-pointers from Cornwall and Nate Johnson, along with a layup from Perez to build an early 11-5 lead – but saw UT Martin (2-4) go on a 15-0 run to seize control of the game.
 
The Skyhawks' largest margin came after a Quintin Dove jumper with 11:37 to play, but Gardner-Webb slowly pulled closer – knotting the score at 32 on a Cornwall three-pointer with 4:34 left before the half.
 
UT-Martin used another brief spurt to lead 42-36 at the break.
 
Gardner-Webb opened the second half with a quick rally, going on a 10-2 run to take the lead. The two teams battled back-and-forth over the next three minutes, until Nate Johnson drained a three with 15:01 to play to give Gardner-Webb the lead for good.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs took over from there, going on a decisive 19-3 run, powered inside by Reid and Dufeal and outside by Cornwall. Reid's dunk off a feed from Eric Jamison, Jr., at the 6:01 mark gave Gardner-Webb a comfortable 73-55 margin.
 
Gardner-Webb held a 22-8 edge in the paint in the final 20 minutes, limited UT-Martin to just 1-of-16 from long range and outscored the Skyhawks 16-0 off the bench.
 
Reid, the highly-rated freshman forward from Queens, N.Y., scored 11 of his 13 points and had all five blocked shots in the second half.
 
Gardner-Webb made 29-of-52 shots overall (55.8 percent) and a sizzling 13-of-22 from long distance (59.1 percent). GWU also held a +6 edge in rebounding (35-29), assisted on 20 of its 29 made baskets and took care of the basketball at a higher rate than its first five games.
 
Cornwall, who has scored 60 points over his past three games, was at his best Tuesday. The Brooklyn, N.Y., junior made 8-of-11 field goals, knocked down 6-of-7 three-point shots and pulled down five rebounds to go with three assists in 28 minutes.
 
UT-Martin shot 51.7 percent in the first half to build its early lead, but cooled to 6-of-30 shooting in the final 20 minutes (20.0 percent). Parker Stewart led the way with a game-high 25 points and Dove added 18 for the Ohio Valley Conference member.
 
Gardner-Webb will face Northern Colorado on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 pm in the Mayan Division title game (FloHoops.com). UT-Martin will play Boston University at 12:30 pm in the consolation game.