BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb took a two-point lead with 3:23 remaining, and the Runnin' Bulldogs held off Presbyterian down the stretch to escape with a 64-61 victory over the Blue Hose on Wednesday night inside Paul Porter Arena.
A block at the rim from
Anthony Selden turned into a layup on the other end from
Lance Terry, and Gardner-Webb (9-7, 3-0) never trailed again over the final three minutes.
Down by three with two seconds on the left and no timeouts, Presbyterian (8-10, 0-3) hoisted a half-court heave at the buzzer, but the desperation attempt never came close as the 'Dogs stormed the court in celebration and a three-point victory.
The win is the fifth in a row for Gardner-Webb, who improves to 3-0 in Big South play for the first time in 13 seasons as a member of the conference.
The Runnin' Bulldogs trailed by six at halftime, 32-26, before outscoring Presbyterian by nine in the highly intense second half, 38-29.
Another Terry lay-in put GWU ahead by six with 32 seconds to go in the game, but Presbyterian (8-10, 0-3) charged back to within one, 61-60, with seven ticks left on the clock.
Jordan Sears sunk a pair of free throws before PC countered with one of its own, but a 1-of-2 trip from the charity stripe for Terry with two seconds to go ultimately put the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead 64-61 to help seal the victory.
Gardner-Webb was led by 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals from
D'Maurian Williams in addition to 15 points and five rebounds from Terry. Selden also added 11 points, five boards and two blocks for the Runnin' Bulldogs, who finished 20 of 45 (44.4%) from the floor and 6 of 19 (31.6%) from distance.
On the defensive front, the 'Dogs managed to hold the Blue Hose to a 22-of-57 (38.6%) shooting night overall, limiting PC to only 8 of 28 (28.6%) from 3-point range.
While the game featured a total of 10 lead changes, the Runnin' Bulldogs maintained control for most of the contest and managed to hold a lead for just under 30 total minutes of game action.
Winners of five in a row for the first time since 2018-19 when it made its run to the NCAA Tournament, Gardner-Webb will look to make it six-straight on Saturday, January 15 when it travels to Longwood for an important Big South test. Tipoff from Willett Hall in Farmville, Va. is slated for 3 p.m.
