BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb's road to the Big South title begins Monday evening as the fourth-seeded Runnin' Bulldogs host No. 5 Presbyterian in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women's Basketball Championship.

Gardner-Webb (10-12, 10-7 Big South) finished fourth in the regular season standings, its best finish in league play since finishing fourth in 2015-16.  Winners of five of their last six contests, GWU enters the postseason after wrapping up the regular season with a pair of 20-point victories at UNC Asheville on February 25-26.

The Runnin' Bulldogs have been paced offensively this season by Lauren Bevis, who is averaging a career-best 12.7 points per game.  The High Point, N.C. native has knocked down 55 three-point baskets throughout the season, shooting at an efficient 36.4 percent from long distance.

Following closely in scoring is Jhessyka Williams with 12.2 points per game, also a career-best.  The Augusta, Ga. native is also one of the league's top defenders, averaging a conference-best 2.9 steals per game throughout the season, along with 5.4 rebounds per game. 

Freshman sensation Alasia Smith has also been a key contributor throughout the course of the season, averaging 11.4 points per game, along with 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest.

Presbyterian (11-9, 10-8 Big South) placed fifth in the Big South regular season standings after earning a pair of wins over Winthrop earlier in the week.

The Blue Hose are led on the season by Tionna Carter, who averages 12.7 points per game.  Jade Compton averages 12.0 points per game along with a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game.

The two teams split the regular season matchups in Clinton, S.C. on December 16-17.  Presbyterian opened the series by taking a 69-60 decision before Gardner-Webb bounced back with a 47-44 win the following evening.

Monday's semifinals game will tip-off at 7:00 pm inside Paul Porter Arena with live coverage on ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com / ESPN App).

The 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women's Basketball Championship semifinals will take place Thursday, March 11, with the higher seed hosting each game.  The highest remaining seed will the host the championship game on Sunday, March 14 for the conference championship and the league's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.

For more information on the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women's Basketball Championship, including the full bracket, visit www.BigSouthSports.com.