CANCUN, Mexico – Redshirt-senior forward Isaiah Richards nailed a three-pointer with 1:08 left while sophomore guard Darryl Simmons II knocked down two clutch free throws in the final seconds, lifting the Gardner-Webb (3-3) men's basketball team to a 73-69 win over Southeastern Louisiana (2-4) during opening-day action of the Cancun Challenge on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Simmons led the Runnin' Bulldogs with 19 points, while guards Anthony Selden and Pharrell Boyogueno each chipped in 15 points in the win. Boyogueno also led the 'Dawgs with seven rebounds. Graduate forward Jamaine Mann contributed nine points and six boards.
 
Gardner-Webb shot 51.9% as a team (28-54), including 31.6% (6-19) from distance and 64.7% (11-17) from the charity stripe. The Runnin' Bulldogs dominated the glass with a 38-29 margin on rebounds.
 
After the Lions took an early 4-0 advantage, Boyogueno drained a triple to out GWU on the board before dialing distance once more just moments later, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs their first lead of the contest, 8-6.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Shahar Lazar connected on a layup to give Gardner-Webb its biggest lead, 15-8, with five minutes off the clock in the first half, but the Lions continued to hang around while not allowing GWU to extend the lead by more than eight points.
 
Trailing 23-15, Southeastern reeled off 10 straight points while taking the lead back with just under 10 minutes to play before halftime. From that point, the game would see a back-and-forth affair as the score was tied or changed hands on seven occasions down the stretch. Senior forward Ademide Badmus finished the scoring in the half with a layup, but the Lions took a 37-36 lead into the break.
 
Brody Rowbury tallied a layup for the Lions, giving the visitors on the scoreboard a 46-39 lead five minutes into the final stanza. The Runnin' Bulldogs trimmed the deficit to a single possession on a pair of trips before Simmons splashed a three-ball to give Gardner-Webb a 57-56 lead with seven to play.
 
That advantage did not last long as Southeastern Louisiana grabbed the lead back three before a dunk by Richards and fastbreak layup from Simmons allowed the Runnin' Bulldogs to jump back ahead.
 
A crucial offensive putback by Jeremy Elyzee pushed the Lions ahead by one with 68 seconds to play, but Richards came up huge with a three-pointer before Simmons drained a pair from the free throw line to seal the deal for Gardner-Webb.
 
Gardner-Web will take on the winner of Bethune-Cookman and North Dakota in the championship game of the Mayan Bracket tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.