BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb returns home Wednesday night (Feb. 13) after a long week on the road to host Charleston Southern at 7:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena.
 
Head coach Tim Craft's Runnin' Bulldogs (15-10, 5-5 Big South) sit tied with the Buccaneers (11-12, 5-5 Big South) and Hampton in the sixth spot currently, just one game behind High Point for the important fifth seed – and final bye in the first round of the upcoming league tournament.
 
Charleston Southern stifled Gardner-Webb in their January 26 meeting, limiting the 'Dogs to just 15 first-half points and a season-low 32.8 percent effort from the floor in a comfortable 74-60 win in CSU Fieldhouse. The defensive energy for Bucs, and an inability to make shots for Gardner-Webb proved costly – despite a game-high 23 points from David Efianayi and 14 more from Jose Perez.
 
Both teams have enjoyed success since that meeting, with each winning three of the next four outings. 
 
Charleston Southern used a buzzer beater from Christian Keeling on January 30 to nip Presbyterian at home, manhandled USC Upstate on the road, then lost a narrow decision to Winthrop in Charleston. Keeling exploded for 27 points on Saturday to lead a 10-point win at UNC Asheville.
 
Gardner-Webb won a pair of close home games – over High Point and UNC Asheville – immediately following the CSU defeat, then survived an 89-88 overtime win at Longwood before falling in a 103-101 overtime heartbreaker at Presbyterian on Saturday. That game in Clinton, S.C., was decided by three free throws with 0.4 seconds on the clock – the second time this season GWU has fallen on a foul call with less than a second remaining (Eastern Illinois).
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs have played more cohesively at home in Paul Porter Arena this season, going 9-0 and averaging a fast-paced 88.1 points per game. That has been spurred by efficient shooting (51.8 percent), effective free throw shooting (137 makes) and 38.9 rebounds per game. The home court success dates back more than two seasons, with a 21-2 mark in the arena since the end of the 2016-2017 campaign.
 
Several of those wins have been tight, evidenced by three overtime wins in Paul Porter this season and a two-point win over Charleston Southern last February.
 
Efianayi (18.5 ppg) and Perez (16.6 ppg) continue to provide a strong one-two punch scoring the basketball for Craft, with DJ Laster (12.9 ppg) and Nate Johnson (10.4 ppg) also pouring in points at a high level. All four men scored 18 or more points in Saturday's overtime duel with Presbyterian – and each of the quartet has at least one 20-point game under his belt this season.
 
Charleston Southern has been led this season by Keeling (18.3 ppg), who is already nearing the 1,500-point mark in his junior season. Phlandrous Fleming (12.5 ppg) and Dontrell Shuler (10.9 ppg) are also averaging in double figures – but power forward Ty Jones (8.4 ppg) has been among the league's hottest players since conference play started.
 
The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder had 18 points and nine rebounds in a dominant effort vs. Gardner-Webb on January 26 and is pouring in 12.1 points per game in 10 Big South games (six starts). Head coach Barclay Radebaugh has gotten extreme balance in league play, with five men averaging in double figures. In addition to the quartet of Keeling, Fleming, Shuler and Jones, the Bucs have gotten 10.2 points per game from wing Travis McConico.
 
Wednesday's game will stream live on ESPN+, with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan calling the action. For ticket information, call (704) 406-4340.