CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 5 seed Gardner-Webb opens the 2023 Hercules Tires Big South Men's Basketball Championships Friday afternoon with a rematch against No. 4 USC Upstate at 2:00 pm.
The two teams' played just six days ago, with the Spartans (15-14, 10-8 Big South) taking a 75-69 win in Spartanburg, S.C., to force a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standings with Gardner-Webb (15-15, 10-8) and Winthrop.
The Spartans went 3-1 against that cluster of teams and Gardner-Webb went 2-2 – giving Upstate the chance to wear a lighter jersey in the rematch. The two teams split the regular season series, with Gardner-Webb winning 78-66 at home on January 25.
The Runnin' Bulldogs rank second in the Big South in team scoring defense and lead the league in field goal percentage defense, but will need to regain its poise after dropping the final four games of the regular season. GWU allowed an uncharacteristic 76.3 points per game over its final five games this season – which followed perhaps its best defensive performance as a team in the big road win at Radford on ESPNU.
Second-team All-Big South guard
DQ Nicholas (13.2 ppg) still leads the Runnin' Bulldogs and is followed closely by athletic forward
Anthony Selden (11.3 ppg) and honorable mention All-Big South forward
Kareem Reid (10.7 ppg). All three standouts are scoring at a career-high clip – with Selden going for 21 points in the final at Upstate.
Reid and running mate
Ludovic Dufeal still present one of the toughest back lines in the Big South, rating first and second in the program's Division I history in career blocks.
Upstate is led by first-team All-Big South guard Jordan Gainey (15.1 ppg). Rookies Justin Bailey and Jordyn Surratt landed spots on the All-Freshman Team and head coach Dave Dickerson led the Spartans to an impressive 11-2 mark at home this season.
Friday's game will stream live on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com), with the radio call coming live over 730 The Game (ESPN Charlotte 730 AM).
Tickets are available for $15 at GWUSports.com and can be picked up at the Gardner-Webb will call/ticket table at Bojangles Coliseum.
