BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.  – Gardner-Webb's women's basketball team heads to Johnson City, Tennessee for a matchup with East Tennessee State University on Wednesday, December 19. The game will air live on the Varsity Network App, GWUSports.com/listenlive, and ESPNCLT.com with Phil Constantino and Jim "Mojo" Morrison on the call for the Runnin' Bulldogs Sports Network. The games will also stream live on ESPN+ (watchespn.com).
 
'DAWG WATCH
First-year Head Coach Scott Merritt leads his Runnin' Bulldogs squad into the Brooks Gymnasium to face a hot Buccaneer side.
 
With two non-conference games left for the 'Dawgs, junior guard Ashley Hawkins leads the pack in scoring with an average of 15.1 points (4^th in the Big South), 4.7 (2^nd in the Big South) assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field (2^nd in the Big South) and knocking down 85 percent from the charity stripe (2^nd in the Big South). Hawkins has only been held to below double-digits in two games for Gardner-Webb this season and most recently posted a season-high 28 points in the team's win over App State. At the College of Charleston, she tied the single-game program record for assists with 11 on Nov. 20, which is also the only 10+ assist game among Big South players this season. 
 
Freshman guard Lauren Bailey tails Hawkins in points for GWU averaging 9.3 and averages a 38 three-point percentage (1^st in the Big South). Graduate student forward Ramatoulaye Keita has worked the glass for Gardner-Webb with a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game (5^thin the Big South).
 
RUNNIN' BULLDOGS ENTER BUCCANEER WATERS
The Buccaneers enter Wednesday's game with a 9-3 overall record, opening their season with a tight loss to Kentucky (74-66) and following up with four straight wins. Two of those Buc's wins came against Radford (49-45) and Presbyterian (72-56). After a short two-game losing skid, ETSU has an active five-game winning streak. Last season, ETSU posted a record of 25-10 falling in the second round of the SoCon Tournament to Chattanooga (69-40), but finishing third at the WBI. This is the eighth meeting between Gardner-Webb and ETSU while the Bucs lead the series 4-3. The last meeting between the two came on November 26, 2021 in Conway with ETSU winning by a score of, 78-72. The last win for the 'Dawgs happened on February 25, 2008 with a score of 88-76 in Boiling Springs.
 
'DAGWS VS. ROYALS
After this Wednesday matchup with ETSU, Gardner-Webb takes a few days off before hitting the road to Charlotte on Saturday, Dec. 30 to face Queens University (N.C.), at 2:00 p.m.
 
Times and television coverage for all Gardner-Webb women's basketball games can be found at gwusports.com. For more information on the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team, fans can follow the team on X at @GWU_WBK or on Instagram at @gwu_wbk.