BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb men's basketball hosts another critical Big South Conference game on Saturday at 5:00 pm, with Winthrop rolling into Paul Porter Arena.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs (16-10, 6-5 Big South) sit just a half game out of fourth place currently and have won four of their last five – all thrillers decided by an average of 1.8 points per game.
 
Saturday is also designed to celebrate the rich history and tradition of Gardner-Webb basketball, as the school hosts its annual alumni event – Hoopscoming 2019. More than 30 men's basketball alumni are scheduled to be back on campus, including Hall of Famers Artis Gilmore, George Adams, Dave Bormann, Bill Ellis, Ronnie Robinson, Jerry Walker and Coach Eddie Holbrook – among others.
 
Gilmore, Adams and Holbrook are part of a contingent scheduled to be in attendance for the 50th anniversary of the legendary 1968-1969 junior college Runnin' Bulldogs that posted a 31-5 record and advanced to the national tournament. That team, which featured another legend in the late Ernie Fleming as its leading scorer, played at a fast pace – scoring 100 or more points 22 times on the season.
 
Gilmore went on to a spectacular pro career in the ABA and NBA, earning the ABA's Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year following the 1971-1972 season. The 7-foot-2 center went on to earn ABA All-Star honors five times and NBA All-Star honors six times during his career – which saw him finish with 24,941 points, 16,330 rebounds, 3,178 blocked shots and 3,050 assists.
 
The A-Train was elected to the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
All of Gardner-Webb's basketball alumni and the 1968-1969 team will be honored with a special halftime ceremony on Saturday.
 
The 2018-2019 Gardner-Webb squad will face a tall task, with Winthrop (17-6, 8-3 Big South) sitting in second place after three consecutive wins.
 
The high-scoring Eagles (85.6 ppg) jumped out to a big lead over Gardner-Webb in the two teams' first meeting, before the Runnin' Bulldogs countered with 62 second-half points to pull within single digits in a 97-88 loss in Rock Hill (January 24).
 
The Eagles are led by a quartet of double figures scorers, paced by senior Nych Smith (17.6 ppg). 
 
Adam Pickett (12.6 ppg), Bjorn Broman (11.0 ppg) and Josh Ferguson (10.7 ppg) also average more than 10 points per outing – with Kyle Zunic (9.2 ppg), fast-rising Charles Falden (7.3 ppg) and Austin Awad (6.8 ppg) also capable of big numbers. Talented freshman wing Michael Anumba (6.8 ppg) has started all 25 games and is a very capable scorer – as well as one of the team's top defenders.
 
Falden and Pickett each came off the bench for 19 points in January's win over Gardner-Webb, while Broman poured in 20. The Eagles made a solid 15-of-36 from long range in that game.
 
Since its road swing through Rock Hill and Charleston, S.C., in late January, Gardner-Webb has rediscovered its offensive stride, averaging 83.6 points per game – while shooting a crisp 52.0 percent.
 
Head coach Tim Craft's bunch has gone 4-1 during that stretch, climbing back into contention for a first-round bye in the upcoming league tournament – although all five games have been tight. Three have gone to overtime, with Gardner-Webb going to overtime six times already this season overall (4-2 record).
 
David Efianayi has boosted his play of late, averaging 25.4 points per game and shooting 57.4 percent from the floor (51.5 percent from the arc) over the last five games. The Orlando, Fla., native needs only 30 more points to tie Tyrell Nelson for the Division I-era career scoring mark.
 
Freshman Jose Perez has also boosted his scoring to 19.0 points per game over the last five contests, scoring 20 or more points twice. The Bronx, N.Y., standout had six assists in a road win at Longwood on February 7 and has averaged nearly two steals per game on the defensive end.
 
Nate Johnson, DJ Laster and Jaheam Cornwall have also provided a spark offensively – with Cornwall collecting three starts of late due to injuries in the backcourt.
 
Gardner-Webb's women will kick off Saturday's basketball action, hosting Campbell at 2:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena. Tickets will be available at the door for both games. For more information, call Gardner-Webb athletics at (704) 406-4340.