HIGH POINT, N.C. – A cold-shooting fourth period doomed the Runnin' Bulldogs at No. 4 Gardner-Webb would fall at No. 1 High Point in the semifinals of the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday night.
 
Gardner-Webb (11-13) trailed High Point (21-6) by a 62-53 margin at the end of the third period, but the Panthers would open the frame with an 11-1 run, pushing their lead to 19 points with 5:07 to go.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs would make just two baskets on 13 attempts in the frame, both layups by Big South Freshman of the Year Alasia Smith, and would go 1-for-2 from the free throw line, totaling five points for the quarter.  High Point was 6-of-11 in the final ten minutes, scoring 13 points.
 
HPU led for the entirety of the evening, opening the contest on an 8-0 run.  Gardner-Webb would battle back, trailing by just four at 21-17 at the end of the opening period.
 
GWU pulled within one point of High Point's lead on three occasions in the second period, the last being after a jumper by Alexis Hueston with 7:36 on the clock set the score at 27-26, but the Panthers would rattle off 13 unanswered points to build a 14-point lead over the next four minutes.
 
The 'Dogs trimmed their deficit to 10 points at 44-34 at the end of the half.
 
Gardner-Webb clawed its way back into the game at the onset of the third period, making it a one possession contest with 4:32 on the clock after a three-point basket by Jhessyka Williams set the score at 50-47.  High Point would respond by expanding its lead back to nine points at the end of the frame, 62-53.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs were 21-of-57 (36.8 percent) from the floor on the evening, including 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from long distance.  High Point was 26-of-51 (51.0 percent) from the floor and 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from beyond the arc.
 
The Panthers won the battle on the glass, 38-25, and outscored GWU in the paint, 32-20.
 
Lauren Bevis paced the GWU offence on the evening with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long distance.  Gabrielle Caponegro followed with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Ki'Ari Cain added 11 points with a team-high six assists.
 
Claire Wyatt led the Panthers offensively with 17 point on 5-of-11 shooting, followed by Cydney Johnson with 16 points on a 7-of-11 outing.  Big South Player of the Year Skylar Curran added 15 points.
 
Gardner-Webb season comes to an end while High Point advances to Sunday's Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women's Basketball Championship finals.