BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.  – The Gardner-Webb's women's basketball team will head to the Sunshine State, opening with (r/v) FGCU on Thursday night, December 7 in the Alico Arena tipping off at 7:00 p.m. The game will air live on the Varsity Network App, GWUSports.com/listenlive, and ESPN Charlotte 730AM/97.5 FM with Phil Constantino 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 and the Runnin' Bulldogs enter this week with an 0-7 record before entertaining the Eagles.
 
With seven non-conference games under their belts, junior guard Ashley Hawkins leads the Runnin' Bulldogs in scoring averaging 14 points (t-4^th in the Big South), 4.5 assists (2^nd in the Big South), four rebounds per game, shooting 44 percent from the field (5^th in the Big South), knocking down 80 percent from the charity stripe (2^nd in the Big South), and averaging 32.7 minutes (2^nd in the Big South) per contest. Hawkins has only been held to below double-digits in one game for Gardner-Webb this season. 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 follows Hawkins in points for GWU averaging nine points (17^th in the Big South), a 37 three-point percentage (2^nd in the Big South), four rebounds, and averaging 25 minutes per game. Graduate student forward Ramatoulaye Keita has controlled the paint for Gardner-Webb with a team-high seven rebounds per game (4^th in the Big South).
 
FROM THE FOOTHILLS TO THE BEACH
The FGCU Eagles enter Thursday's game at 6-3, highlighting their season with wins over Kentucky (59-48), no. 18 North Carolina (65-64), and the University of Deleware (83-68). The Eagles lost ranked contests against no. 21 USC (67-51) and no. 5 University of Iowa (100-62). Florida Gulf Coast has also received four votes in the latest AP Poll to release. Last season FGCU posted a record of 33-4 falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to the 4-seed Villanova University (76-57). FGCU leads the all-time series against the Runnin' Bulldogs 2-0. The last matchup came on January 26, 2008, when the Eagles beat the 'Dawgs 76-65 in the Paul Porter Arena.
 
RUNNIN' BULLDOGS HEAD TO THE BIG GUAVA
After this Thursday's away contest against the Eagles, Gardner-Webb will take a few days off before heading down to Tampa and visit the University of South Florida on Dec. 10 at 1:00 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.