SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gardner-Webb closed the first half on a 10-4 run to take the lead for good and pulled away for a 69-58 win over USC Upstate in its regular season finale.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (11-14, 10-10 Big South) finished an unusual regular season on a three-game road win streak. The program also kept alive a streak of nine-straight seasons finishing with a .500 or better record in league play.

Monday allowed the 'Dogs to exact revenge for a February 8 loss at Upstate (5-17, 5-11 Big South).

The early going followed a defensive theme, but Upstate's Tommy Bruner got going and pushed the Spartans up 7-2. Bruner hit another three-pointer for a 12-6 lead with 12:46 to play before the half, but reigning Big South Player of the Week Jaheam Cornwall banged home his own bonus shot to cut the lead to 12-9.

Gardner-Webb finally got its lead on a Jacob Falk layup with 6:51 to play – putting the 'Dogs up 17-16 – and the two teams battled to a 20-20 tie after Everette Hammond connected on a jumper with 5:37.

Freshman sensation Jordan Sears sparked Gardner-Webb's late first-half run, breaking the tie with a three-pointer off a D'Maurian Williams assist with 5:19 to play before halftime.

That would give GWU the lead for good.

Sears scored four more points before the break, sparking a 10-4 run that put Gardner-Webb up 30-24 at halftime.

Upstate would trim the lead to three points with a slow push out of the locker room, but the Runnin' Bulldogs would extend their lead to double digits on a Sears layup with 16:21 to play – and the Spartans would not be able to get closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Sears and Falko led Gardner-Webb's attack with 18 points each, with Falko going 8-of-10 from the deck. Williams, Cornwall and Kareem Reid each scored eight points despite battling serious foul trouble.

GWU finished the game with four players saddled with four fouls.

The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 43.9 percent for the game (25-of-57), made 5-of-17 from deep (29.4 percent) and connected on 14-of-22 free throws. The rebounding edge was significant (40-33), particularly on the offensive end.

Gardner-Webb held a 22-8 scoring edge on second-chance points Monday.

Upstate was led by Bruner's 14 points – with only four scored in the second half. Everette Hammond added 12 points and Dalvin White scored 13. The Spartans made only three shots from three-point range (3-of-16) and shot 40.4 percent for the game.

Gardner-Webb will now turn its attention to the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Conference Tournament first round. The Runnin' Bulldogs, who will likely be the No. 6 seed, will host a game at 12:00 Noon on Saturday in the first round of the event.

The 2021 tournament will be held at higher seeds throughout the championship round.