Time:  7 p.m.
Location:  Asheville, N.C.  •  Kimmel Arena
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb men's basketball returns to the hardwood on Thursday when the Runnin' Bulldogs travel north to UNC Asheville for this week's Big South Wildcard game on ESPNU. Tipoff inside Kimmel Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Thursday will be the first of two meetings this season between Gardner-Webb (9-10, 3-3) and UNC Asheville (11-8, 3-3) as the tested conference foes are set to battle for sole possession of third place in the league's South Division standings. The Runnin' Bulldogs, who lead the all-time series 33-21, have won four of the last five over AVL and two straight in Kimmel Arena.
 
The Big South Conference announced on January 17 that ESPNU had selected the contest as its second Big South Wildcard broadcast of the season, moving the game from its previous date of January 26 back one day to Thursday, January 27. The selection marks the second nationally-televised meeting between the squads, as the Runnin' Bulldogs scored an 81-76 victory over the Bulldogs in the first ESPNU contest on February 23, 2017. 
 
It will be Gardner-Webb's eighth appearance in the Big South's ESPNU Wildcard series overall, and 13th for Asheville. Radio coverage for the game will also be available with Phil Constantino on the call on the Runnin' Bulldogs Sports Network.
 
SERIES NOTES
Series Record . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gardner-Webb leads, 33-21
Current Streak . . . . . . . . . . . . Gardner-Webb W1
Last 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gardner-Webb 4-1
Last 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gardner-Webb 7-3
Craft vs. AVL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8
Craft at Kimmel Arena . . . . . . 2-5 (Streak: GWU W2)
Last Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GWU 84, AVL 57 (Jan. 20, 2021 at GWU)
First Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AVL 74, GWU 65 (Nov. 28, 1970)
Last GWU Win . . . . . . . . . . . . .GWU 84, AVL 57 (Jan. 20, 2021 at GWU)
Last AVL Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AVL 79, GWU 75 (Jan. 19, 2021 at GWU)
 
THE OPENING TIP

• After winning five-straight from Dec. 29 to Jan. 18 (wins over Converse, Georgia, Charleston Southern, Hampton and Presbyterian) Gardner-Webb has since dropped its last three to move 3-3 in the Big South and a game under .500 overall. 
• Prior to the current three-game skid, Gardner-Webb began its conference slate at 3-0 for the first time in 14 seasons as a member of the Big South (dating back to 2008-09).
• GWU's three conference losses have come against the top three teams in the league in Longwood (5-0), Winthrop (5-1) and USC Upstate (5-1). While the three losses have been by a combined 21 points, the losses to the league's two division leaders – Longwood (North) and Winthrop (South) – have come by only a combined eight points, both games of which were played on the road.
• In the 80 combined minutes played in losses to Longwood and Winthrop, Gardner-Webb held a lead for 60:28 of game action (75.5%).
• While Coach Craft and GWU dropped six straight to UNC Asheville after he took reigns of the program in 2013-14, the Runnin' Bulldogs have since countered with wins in seven of the last nine in the head-to-head series, including a 72-62 victory over UNCA in the 2020 Big South Men's Basketball quarterfinals.
• GWU last played in Asheville in 2019-20, a 14-point win for the 'Dogs, 70-56. GWU has won two straight in Asheville after dropping the previous five inside Kimmel Arena prior to that.
• The first two meetings between the two teams dates back to 1970-71, Gardner-Webb's first official season as a new four-year school. Asheville won the first-ever head-to-head contest, 74-65, while the Runnin' Bulldogs came out victorious in the second matchup later on in the season, 120-97.
• As of Wednesday afternoon, Gardner-Webb leads the Big South in blocks per game (5.4), defensive rebounds per game (27.26), field-goal percentage defense (39.5%) and total blocks (102).