BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb will close out the 2018-2019 regular season on Saturday, hosting Longwood at 3:00 pm for Senior Day in Paul Porter Arena.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs (19-11, 9-6 Big South) are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings and could secure a first-round tournament bye with a win on Saturday.
 
GWU will honor its three seniors prior to tip off, with David Efianayi, DJ Laster and Brandon Miller each suiting up for their final regular season game in Paul Porter Arena. The trio has helped Gardner-Webb win 69 games to date during their careers – including Power 5 Conference wins over Nebraska (2016), Georgia Tech (2018) and Wake Forest (2018). 
 
Both Efianayi and Laster have topped the 1,000-point mark and Miller has proven to be a valuable presence in the paint – on both ends of the floor.
 
Efianayi is approaching rarified air in Gardner-Webb basketball lore. He passed Tyrell Nelson for first on the program's Division I career scoring list on Wednesday night, and sits at 1,671 points currently. That leaves him eighth in the program's storied senior college annals – and just 33 points from moving past Hall of Famer Dave Bormann for the sixth spot.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will face another stiff test from Longwood, which has continued to compete well despite losing top scorer and All-Big South guard Isaiah Walton in early February. The Lancers (15-15, 5-10 Big South) nearly knocked off Campbell at home in their last outing – falling 74-72 at home after a last-second three-pointer was off the mark.
 
Newcomer Shabooty Phillips (14.0 ppg) has been dynamic in the backcourt, helping the Lancers knock down 291 three-pointers as a team. JaShaun Smith (10.8 ppg), Jaylon Wilson (9.5 ppg), Sean Flood (6.7 ppg) and Juan Munoz (5.6 ppg) have each made at least 32 three-pointers this season.
 
Wilson is one of the hottest shooters in the league at present, averaging 16.6 points per game over his last five appearances. He netted 19 points against Gardner-Webb on February 9, making 4-of-8 from long range in an 89-88 overtime loss.
 
As has been the case for much of the season, Gardner-Webb has countered opponents with good balance on offense – with four men scoring in double figures. In addition to seniors Efianayi (18.7 ppg) and Laster (12.6 ppg), GWU has gotten strong play from two new sources this season.
 
Jose Perez, the league's most well-rounded freshman statistically (15.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg), has emerged as a top candidate for Big South Freshman of the Year honors through 30 games. The Bronx, N.Y., native is already the program's Division I era leader in freshman points scored – and is within striking distance of becoming the first GWU freshman to score 500 points in a season since the move up 19 years ago.
 
Nate Johnson (10.4 ppg) has been another key performer as a first-year starter. The redshirt sophomore sharpshooter has shown versatility in his game, locking down opposing shooters with regularity and ranking fourth in the Big South with 49 steals.
 
Saturday's game marks the final chance this season for fans to witness what has become the toughest place to play in the Big South Conference of late.
 
Gardner-Webb has gone 12-0 at home in 2018-2019 and has won 13 in a row since the end of last season. Gardner-Webb is 24-2 since the end of the 2016-2017 season in the building.
 
Strong starts at home have keyed recent success. In its last three home games, Gardner-Webb has shot 54.5 percent in the first half – while averaging 44.7 points over the first 20 minutes.
 
For more information on Saturday's game, including tickets, call Gardner-Webb athletics at (704) 406-4355.