THE GAME
Gardner-Webb (5-11, 1-3 Big South) is back in action at home on Saturday, hosting USC Upstate in the second half of a key Big South Conference twinbill. The tip is set for 4:30 pm, immediately following Gardner-Webb's women's game vs. the Spartans. Both games will stream live on ESPN+, with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan on the call.

SERIES HISTORY
The series between Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate is tied 12-12 ... 19 of the previous meetings held when both schools were members of NAIA and NCAA Division II ... Gardner-Webb holds a 4-1 edge in the series when both teams have been Division I members ... Gardner-Webb won, 74-61, at USC Upstate last season in a non-conference game and beat the Spartans, 64-59, on January 12 last year in Paul Porter Arena.

GARDNER-WEBB QUICK LOOK
•    Tim Craft was the third coach in Gardner-Webb history to reach 100 career wins in six seasons. The Tallahassee, Fla., native 
    joined Hall of Famers Eddie Holbrook  (141) and Jim Wiles (103) on that list when GWU rallied for an 87-74 overtime win 
    against Hampton on January 19, 2019 in Paul Porter Arena.

•    Under Craft, the Runnin' Bulldogs have not endured a losing season in Big South Conference play in his six seasons. Craft
    is 61-47 in the Big South, reaching at least 10 wins in five of his six seasons so far.

•    Since returning from injury, guard Nate Johnson (6-3, 180, Jr.) has averaged a red-hot 17.5 points per game to go with 5.5 
    rebounds and 2.1 steals. The Miami, Fla., native is shooting a sharp 46.9 percent from three-point land during that stretch
    and has also made 15-of-16 free throws (93.8 percent).

•    Gardner-Webb is 2-0 when it makes at least 20 free throws in a game this season.

•    Gardner-Webb is off to a slow start to league play for the second year in a row. After going 2-4 to start Big South action last 
    season, GWU rallied to finish in a tie for third by season's end. The 'Dogs famously ran the table in the league tournament for 
    their first NCAA Tournament berth.

•    GWU went 11-3 last season in "close games" – games decided by  two possessions or less or in overtime. That included an 8-1 
    mark in Big South play. GWU is 1-5 in "close games" this season, including home losses to Furman, Presbyterian and Radford.

•    The Runnin' Bulldogs are 28-5 in Paul Porter Arena since the end of the 2016-2017 season (87.5 percent). That includes a 13-0 
    mark last season and wins in 16 of the last 18 games inside the building.  GWU is just 2-3 at home this season to date.

•    Last season, Gardner-Webb reached the 20-win mark for the second time under Tim Craft, but did so in the regular season for 
     the first time since the move to Division I in 2000. GWU had previously reached 19 regular season wins in 2001-2002 (23-9) and
    2012-2013 (20-13).

•    Point guard Jaheam Cornwall had a three-game stretch vs. Wichita State (11/18), South Carolina (11/22) and UT-Martin 
    (11/26) that saw him score 60 points (20.0 ppg), make 65.5 percent of his field goals (19-of-29) and 78.9 percent of his three-
    point shots (15-of-19). 

•    Gardner-Webb saw a 10-game home win streak vs. Big South teams snapped in a surprising loss to Presbyterian on January 4.

•    Swingman Jose Perez narrowly missed his second career triple-double on November 26, going for nine points, 11 rebounds 
    and 10 assists in  the win over UT-Martin in Cancun. Perez had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists vs. Savannah State last 
    December 1.

•    Perez broke out of a season-long shooting slump last Saturday night, nailing 11-of-17 field goals and 11-of-14 free throws en 
    route to a career-high 35 points in the triple-OT loss at Winthrop. He added six rebounds and six assists. The performance 
    marked career-highs in field goals made and field goal percentage for the Bronx, N.Y., sophomore.

•    Ludovic Dufeal has swatted a career-high 30 shots this season, pacing the Big South with 1.9 blocks per game. The 6-foot-8
    forward is also averaging career-highs in scoring (6.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg). Teammate Kareem Reid is averaging
    a strong 1.4 blocks per game in just 13.6 minutes of action – with the pair keying Gardner-Webb's defense to 70 blocked shots
    so far this season. Dufeal has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and Reid is blessed with a phenomenal 7-foot-5 wingspan.