BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb University women's basketball team held off a late surge from visiting West Georgia on Monday night at Paul Porter Arena, scoring a win on the opening night of the 2024-25 college basketball season

Gardner-Webb got off to a dream start, opening the first quarter on an 8-1 run. Defending Big South Freshman of the Year Anaya Harris brought Paul Porter Arena to its feet early on, grabbing a steal and going coast to coast for the layup with 6:44 to play. The visitors worked back in the game late in the first, but a first jumper of the season from sophomore forward Andrea Martinez ensured the Runnin' Bullldogs a 14-13 edge after 10 minutes.

The second quarter proved to be the best of the night for the Red and Black, out-scoring West Georgia 21-13 in route to a 35-26 halftime advantage. Sophomore guard Lauren Bailey helped the Runnin' Bulldogs cash in from three with 8:56 to go, her first long-ball of the season. Senior guard Ashley Hawkins scored just 10 points for GWU in total on Monday night, but splashed in a three with 5:05 remaining in the second to push Gardner-Webb ahead 28-16. Sophomore guard Elle Blatchford knocked in her first triple in a Gardner-Webb jersey to put GWU up 11 with just over a minute to go, seeing the Runnin' Bulldogs coast into intermission.

Gardner-Webb kept the pressure up in the third quarter, eventually building a game-high 15 point lead by the 6:21 mark. Hawkins again proved crucial for GWU, knocking down a triple and going behind the back where she found graduate forward Elze Motekaityte for a layup, part of a team-high 14 points for the senior from Lithuania. To end the third quarter, Martinez cashed in on another mid-range jumper to see the Runnin' Bulldogs lead 55-44 entering the final frame.

The Runnin' Bulldogs would have to hold on down the stretch, where West Georgia cut what was a 15 point lead to as few as a point in the final minutes. Up 64-63 with just 35 seconds to play, Hawkins drove to the basket and hit a tough floater unassisted to give Gardner-Webb a 66-63 lead. Multiple West Georgia chances went missing on the final possession, with one Bailey free throw enough to see out the victory.

Leaders for the Runnin' Bulldogs include Hawkins with 10 points, 9 assists, Motekaityte with a career game tallying 14 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots with six made field goals, freshman center Maja Rohkohl with 10 rebounds, and Blatchford with 12 points, seven rebounds in a big performance off the bench.

Gardner-Webb now turns its attention to Elon on Friday, November 8th for the Runnin' Bulldogs first road game of the season.