BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Graduate guard Anthony Selden poured in a team-high 25 points, but it was not enough as the Gardner-Webb (4-6) men's basketball team dropped a 78-77 heartbreaker on the final shot to NC Central (4-7) on Saturday afternoon inside Paul Porter Arena.
 
Graduate forward Jamaine Mann chipped in 15 points while redshirt-sophomore Shahar Lazar scored 10 points. Redshirt-senior Isaiah Richards nearly missed a double-double after finishing with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs wasted no time creating separation in the first half, scoring the game's initial 13 points following a three-pointer out of the hands of freshman guard Colin Hawkins.
 
However, NCCU survived the opening flurry while providing a counterpunch behind a tough 14-3 run, closing the gap to 16-14 with 10:45 remaining on the clock. Mann splashed in a shot from distance before an old-fashioned three-point play by Selden helped to extend the Runnin' Bulldogs lead back to 25-16 just over three minutes later.
 
After the Eagles' Keishon Porter knocked down a three of his own to trim the deficit to 25-21, Gardner-Webb scored the next seven points, capped by back-to-back buckets from senior guard Brendan Mykalcio, pushing out to its first double-digit lead of the contest, 32-21.
 
The remainder of the first half was evenly contested as the 'Dawgs outscored NC Central 9-7 down the stretch while taking a 41-28 lead into halftime.
 
Dionte Johnson scored the first basket of the second half for the Eagles, but a personal 6-0 run by Selden gave GWU its largest lead of the game, 47-30, less than three minutes into the second half.
 
NC Central continued to battle, eventually narrowing the gap to single digits, 47-41, after a crucial 11-0 spurt. The Eagles knotted the score at 61-all with eight minutes to play before taking their first lead of the game following three makes from the charity stripe by Po'BNoigh King.
 
Trailing 71-68, Mann threw down a thunderous dunk before another three-point play from Selden pushed the Runnin' Bulldogs back ahead 75-71 with less than two to play. However, the Eagles finished the game on a 7-2 run, including a desperation three from Isaac Parson with seven ticks left, leaving the home crowd stunned as NCCU left with a 78-77 win.
 
Gardner-Webb returns to action on Saturday, December 14, playing host to Queens University of Charlotte at Paul Porter Arena. Game time is set for 2 p.m.