FARMVILLE, Va. – A free throw from Anthony Selden gave Gardner-Webb a one-point lead with 48 seconds remaining, but Longwood came through with seven made free throws in the closing moments as the Lancers defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs, 66-60, Saturday afternoon inside Willett Hall.
 
After Selden's free throw gave Gardner-Webb (9-8, 3-1) a 60-59 advantage, Jordan Sears was hit with a flagrant foul with 24.9 seconds remaining when Longwood's DA Houston attempted to soar over his back for an offensive rebound. Houston crashed to the floor after failing to clear Sears from behind, and officials determined it to be a flagrant foul on an unsuspecting Sears to send the Lancers to the line for two foul shots and the ball back.
 
Longwood (10-5, 2-0) made both foul shots that stemmed from the flagrant foul, and went on to connect on an additional two free throws when Lance Terry was forced to foul with the shot clock turned off in the immediate aftermath. Suddenly trailing by three with 22 seconds to go, 63-60, D'Maurian Williams was unable to convert on a 3-pointer on the other end, while LW snatched the rebound and got sent back to the line for two. Longwood ultimately went on to add an additional three makes from the charity stripe in the final 15 seconds to help escape with a win.  
 
Gardner-Webb held a lead for just under 30 minutes of total game action, including a game-high 12-point advantage in the first half and multiple 10-point leads in the second half. Longwood, on the other hand, only secured its largest lead of the game (6) when it converted on two free throws with 3.0 seconds remaining. The Lancers led for just 7:53 of game action on the afternoon.

Selden finished with a team-high 17 points and four rebounds, three assists and one block. Three players scored 12 points for the Runnin' Bulldogs, including Kareem Reid, Williams and Terry. Reid and Williams each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Williams knocked down a game-high four triples. Selden, the reigning Big South Player of the Week, recorded his fourth-straight double-figure performance.
 
Gardner-Webb shot 43.1% (22-of-51) from the floor and 33.3% (9-of-27) from distance while holding Longwood to just 34.3% (24-of-70) shooting from the field and 25.8% (8-of-31) from 3-point range.
 
Longwood has now won the last four meetings over GWU dating back to 2019-20.
 
Gardner-Webb raced ahead to a double-digit lead in the first half behind nine early points from Reid and an additional seven from Selden. Up by 12 with 8:35 to play in the opening frame, Longwood answered with a 15-0 run over the next 8:33 before Terry finally hit a shot for the 'Dogs to beat the buzzer at halftime to trim GWU's lead to one at the break, 27-26.
 
After not scoring at all in the first half, Williams came out firing for Gardner-Webb in the second as the sophomore guard drilled three consecutive 3-pointers to help the Runnin' Bulldogs re-take a seven-point lead at the 14:34 mark, 41-34. The 'Dogs would control the remainder of the half up until the final minute, leading by as many as 10 with 6:28 to play, and six with 1:48 to go, prior to Longwood's late rally.
 
GWU's loss is its first in exactly one month dating back to December 15 when it fell by one to North Carolina Central, 72-71. The Runnin' Bulldogs had won five in a row since that point, including all three in conference play prior to Saturday's outcome.
 
Gardner-Webb will look to bounce back when it returns home on Wednesday, January 19 to face the surging Spartans of USC Upstate. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. inside Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs.