BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University men's basketball team will begin its Big South Conference schedule on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2:00 p.m. on the road against the Panthers of High Point University. Saturday's game will stream live on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com), with the radio call broadcast live on the Varsity Network App, GWUSports.com/listenlive, and ESPNCLT.com. Jim Mojo Morrison will be on the call for radio. 
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
The High Point Panthers enter Saturday's game with an overall record of 12-4 having begun their conference schedule on Jan. 3 with an 85-71 win over Radford University. Including the Radford win, High Point enters Saturday on a four-game winning streak. HPU sits 8-0 inside the Qubein Center so far this season. Last season the Panthers posted a record of 14-17 falling in the first round of the Big South Tournament. Head Coach Alan Huss is it his first season at the helm of the High Point men's basketball program. The Runnin' Bulldogs lead the all-time series with the Panthers 17-16, and have won three straight meetings dating back the last two seasons.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Most recently Gardner-Webb fell to Virginia Commonwealth University (Dec. 30). Gardner-Webb was able to build a small lead early in the ballgame opening up to a 13-11 run in the opening seven minutes. The 'Dawgs did so behind early field goals from Quest Aldridge and Ademide Badmus, and threes from Caleb Robinson and Lucas Stieber. VCU's Christian Fermin and Sean Bairstow caught the Rams up to GWU holding a one-point lead with just under nine minutes to play. The Runnin' Bulldogs were able to take back a brief lead of their own with Badmus converting the three-point play. Following a foul, the Rams took it back making trio of three-throws. VCU went on an 11-6 run to in the final four minutes to take a 42-36 lead into the half.
 
The start of the second half saw buckets from DQ Nicholas and Julien Soumaoro as Gardner-Webb attempted to cut into the VCU lead. Despite the effort from GWU, the Rams went on a 20-9 run the first 10 minutes of the half. The Runnin' Bulldogs earned a sequence of stops that saw key shots fall including the first GWU three-pointer from Richards. With 8:21 to play the 'Dawgs trailed by just 10. VCU returned to scoring inside the arch to maintain their lead winning by a final of 87-73.
 
'DAWG WATCH
Gardner-Webb is averaging 73.3 points-per-game, 11.9 assists, 40.2 rebounds per game, and 6.2 steals. The Runnin' Bulldogs' top five scorers 15 games into the season are Soumaoro (211), Robinson, (198), Nicholas (156), Stieber (98) and Aldridge (84). Robinson leads also leads the 'Dawgs in rebounding with 90. He is followed by Stieber (68), Badmus (62), Richards (52) and Nicholas (56). Other notables include Cheickna Sissoko leading the team in blocks with eight, Soumaoro leading in steals with 20 and Nicholas leading in assists with 43.
 
 LOOKING AHEAD
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return home on Wednesday, Jan. 10 to host Charleston Southern at 7:00 p.m.
 
Times and television coverage for all Gardner-Webb men's basketball games can be found at gwusports.com. For more information on the Gardner-Webb men's basketball team, fans can follow the team on Twitter at @GWU_MBK or on Instagram at @gwu_mbk.