BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Head coach Alex Simmons and the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs women's basketball squad will begin the 2019-20 campaign tomorrow with at Charlotte.
The 'Dogs hope to build off a 16-15 overall record and 10-8 mark in Big South play last season. Gardner-Webb was the #5 seed for the Big South Conference tournament and fell to #4 UNC Asheville in the quarterfinals.
The Roster: Returners
The 'Dogs are led by four seniors this season, including First-Team All-Big South Preseason honoree Carley Plentovich (Clearwater, Fla. / Calvary Christian), Savannah Plentovich (Clearwater, Fla. / Calvary Christian) and Morgan Pointer (Greensboro, N.C. / Northwest Guilford HS). Corinna Wiegand (Neuhof-Giesel, Germany / FT Fulda) is a redshirt junior for basketball purposes, but will graduate after the 2019-20 campaign, so she joins the senior class.
"Our senior class has taken on the leadership role very well," said Simmons. "They are all different types of players and they each have their own way of leading which is what we need. They have taken on a huge role of bonding with the team and making sure that the team is on the same accord and have the same goals. They have really taken ownership for this team and understand that we go as they go."
In addition to the four seniors, there are six other returnees that will play under Simmons for the second year. The 2019-20 rosters features three sophomores – Jhessyka Williams (Augusta, Ga. / Laney HS), an All-Freshman Big South team member in 2018-19, Mikayla Dyson (Lincolnton, N.C. / Lincolnton HS) and Lauren Adam (Caro, Mich. / Union-Sebewaing Area HS).
Williams was the fourth leading scorer on the Runnin' Bulldogs' roster as a freshman last season, averaging 9.1 points per game. She scored a career-high 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a win over Charleston Southern. Williams had a five-game stretch in Big South play where she scored in double figures, capped off with 50 combined points in the last two games – 29 against Charleston Southern (Jan. 29) and 21 at Longwood (Feb. 2).
Juniors Gabrielle Caponegro (Allenwood, N.J. / LIU-Brooklyn), Nia Lee (Lawrenceville, Ga. / Collins HS) and Alexis Hueston (Roanoke, Va. / Northside HS) all saw significant playing time last season. Each of the three appeared in at least 27 games, and all three gained experience as a starter.
Caponegro received the most action of the juniors, appearing in 31 games with 29 starts for an average of 31.0 minutes per game. She led the 'Dogs in rebounds per game (7.0) during her first season in the red and black and had a 16-point, 15-rebound performance in a 54-49 non-conference win over Davison (Nov. 14). Â
The Roster: Newcomers
Every coach hopes to get their newcomers acclimated with the team and environment prior to the first game of the season. That goal is no different for Simmons and the coaching staff as they welcome five newcomers.
Freshmen Ki'Ari Cain (Sumpter, S.C. / Sumpter HS), Lauren Bevis (High Point, N.C. / Homeschooled), Grace Knutsen (Alpharetta, Ga. / Alpharetta HS) and Laura Kozo (Ontario, Canada / J. Addison School) are all beginning their first season of collegiate basketball. Lyrissa Deans (Waldorf, Md. / Charlotte) comes to Gardner-Webb after playing her freshman and sophomore campaigns with the 49ers of Charlotte.
"Our newcomers have been awesome," Simmons noted. "Our returners have been extremely lucky to have an incoming class like this one because they are all sold out to the program and to our team. We will have some youth from a point guard perspective, but Ki'Ari and Lauren have shown that they are willing to learn."
Simmons continued: "Laura has had a bit of a setback but is improving daily. She will be a huge asset when she gets back to 100%. Lyrissa has brought experience and a competitive nature to our team, especially in practice. She has grown tremendously from a mental standpoint and has created a competitive nature with our post player position. Overall, they have all stepped into their roles willing to work hard, improve, and do whatever it takes for our program to be successful."Â
Non-Conference Schedule
The Runnin' Bulldogs will be tested early with a challenging non-conference schedule that lasts through mid-December.
After traveling to Charlotte, Gardner-Webb will host Chowan (Nov. 7) in an exhibition matchup before welcoming Wofford (Nov. 14) to Paul Porter Arena for its first home game against an NCAA Division I opponent.
Over the final eight days of November, the Runnin' Bulldogs will play three times with two-of-three contests taking place on their home court. The 'Dogs will travel to Appalachian State (Nov. 22) before hosting Western Carolina (Nov. 27) and Furman (Nov. 30). Gardner-Webb traveled to both WCU and Furman in 2018-19.
Gardner-Webb will face off against two opponents from Power-5 conferences over the final four non-conference games. The 'Dogs will face off against Virginia Tech (ACC) on December 8 and Georgia (SEC) December 22. The Runnin' Bulldogs will begin their trip to the state of Georgia with a game at Mercer (Dec. 20). The lone home game in December is slated for the 15th of the month when the Delaware Blue Hens visit Boiling Springs.
"One of our goals this season was to boost our non-conference schedule, and I think we have done a great job of that," said Simmons. "We want the challenge and the adversity that may come when playing competitive teams. Regardless of outcomes, we will grow as a team and individuals. Playing a competitive non-conference schedule will allow us to pin point some areas of improvement as well as highlight our strengths."
The Big South Schedule
New this season is an early start to Big South Conference play. The Runnin' Bulldogs will embark on a three-game road trip to start league action with two games – Longwood (Dec. 28) and Charleston Southern (Dec. 31) taking place before the calendar turns to 2020.
When 2020 arrives, Gardner-Webb will finish its road swing at Hampton on the 4th day of January before hosting Winthrop on January 6 for its first conference game in Paul Porter Arena.
A final highlight of the Big South slate is a three-game homestand. Simmons and the team will welcome Radford (Jan. 25) and High Point (Jan. 28) to close out January while ushering in February when Charleston Southern visits for a 2 p.m. tip (Feb. 1).
The 'Dogs will play eight games in February before closing out the regular season with senior night against Campbell (Mar. 7). The Big South tournament will begin with first round games at higher seeds on March 10. The tournament is a double pod system again this season with the quarterfinals and semifinals taking place March 12 and 13 at the #1 and #2 seeds. The winner-take-all championship match, where a bid to the NCAA Tournament is on the line is set for Sunday, March 15 at the highest remaining seed. Â
Follow the 'Dogs
Fans can follow the Runnin' Bulldogs all season long with live stats for every contest. All non-conference regular season home games, as well as all Big South contests will be streamed live on ESPN+. Additionally, television coverage for the Big South tournament will be announced later in the season. For more on Gardner-Webb women's basketball, follow @GWU_WBK on social media.
