BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb connected on a season-high 16 triples and raced past Converse on Friday night inside Paul Porter Arena, 79-46.
Lance Terry and
D'Maurian Williams each tallied a game-high 19 points for the Runnin' Bulldogs (5-7) who drilled 16 of 35 (45.7%) 3-pointers on the night, three more than in any game this season and tied for the most in a single game since February 10, 2020 against High Point.
Leon Williams added 12 points and eight rebounds,
Anthony Selden blocked five shots and
Ludovic Dufeal dished out five assists, all respective career-highs. Dufeal also added a team-high 12 rebounds and three steals.
Gardner-Webb clamped down on defense yet again, holding Converse (4-5) to just 17 of 63 (27.0%) from the floor, the lowest shooting percentage of any opponent this season and the lowest in nearly three years. The Valkyries were limited to only seven field goals in the second half as GWU held them to only 22 second-half points following just a 24-point performance in the first half.
Terry paced the Runnin' Bulldogs through the first half, dropping 16 of his 19 points in the opening stanza, including four of his five 3-pointers. The 'Dogs ultimately surged to the locker room on a 14-4 run as Converse missed nine of its final 10 field goals to allow GWU to take a 15-point advantage at the break, 39-24.
Gardner-Webb continued to cruise through the second half, only turning the ball over four times over the final 20 minutes while dishing out an even 12 of its 24 assists. Williams poured in 11 second-half points, while the Runnin' Bulldogs spread the ball around and had nine different players score, including
Christian Alexander who posted his first-career bucket with a lay-in from the paint in the final minute of play.
The 33-point win was GWU's second win of the season of 30 points or more.
Gardner-Webb will head into its 12-day Christmas hiatus with a 5-7 overall record this season as only one nonconference game remains before entering Big South Conference action. The Runnin' Bulldogs will return to the court next on December 29 with a trip to face Georgia in SEC competition in Athens. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
For the latest on Gardner-Webb men's basketball, follow the official @GWU_MBK Account on Twitter and Instagram or visit GWUSports.com.
