High Point, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced its post-season awards on Tuesday afternoon and the Gardner-Webb men's basketball team was well represented with Caleb Robinson, DQ Nicholas and Lucas Stieber garnering All Conference accolades.

Robinson, a senior guard from Lake Authur, Louisiana, was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Robinson, who transferred from Catawba College two years, made an impact on the Runnin Bulldogs program the last two seasons.

This season, Robinson was the team's leading scorer averaging 13.2 PPG and 6.6 rebounds per contest. In Conference play he averaged 13.1 ppg and 7.2 rebounds.
Robinson recorded three double-doubles and 22 double-figure scoring games during the season.

Earlier this year against Western Carolina, Robinson netted his Gardner-Webb career-high 29 points which earned him Big South Player of the week honors.

In January, Robinson became a member of the 1000-point club with a thundering dunk at Radford.

Robinson, who started 16 games this season, came off the bench in 14 contests in order to help the team. The Dawgs' senior energizer twice tallied 20-plus points as a reserve.

"Caleb has really improved in a number of areas over the last two seasons," said Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft. "He has become a more consistent player on both ends of the court. His efficiency in Big South games, his improvement as a passer and his ability to rebound have been vital for our team this season."

Following Robinson on the Big South Third Team was Nicholas.

Nicholas, a senior guard from Atlanta Georgia, transferred from Southeast Missouri and has been a key member of the Runnin' Bulldogs squad the past two seasons.

Nicholas led the Dawgs in scoring in conference play, netting 13.7 PPG while pulling down 4.2 rebounds per contest. Nicholas also connected on 43% from three-point range in conference play.

Nicholas became a member of the 1000-point club against Campbell in February of 2023.

The Gardner-Webb point guard scored in double-figures in 23 of the team's 31 games this season and netted a season-high 20 points against Longwood in January.
Nicholas was recently named Big South Player Co-Player of the week.

"DQ has worked extremely hard to put together an outstanding season in Big South play," said Craft.  "I'm very proud of the way he has persevered this season. Over the last two months he has scored, facilitated, and defended on a very consistent level."

Rounding out the Gardner-Webb list of honorees was Stieber, who was named the Big South Scholar Athlete of the Year.

A transfer from Green Bay last season, Stieber has been a Swiss army knife for the Runnin' Bulldogs since his arrival in Boiling Springs.

A Master of Sports Management major, Stieber has had a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom the past two years. At the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, he had a near-perfect 3.88 as an undergraduate Communications major.

Following last season, Stieber was named to the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll which earned him the Commissioner's Award.

The 6-3 guard, whose basketball and scholastic IQ is off the charts, contributed in many ways to Gardner-Webb's success both on and off the court.

Stieber is the Dawgs' best three-point and free throw shooter this season as he has connected on .41% (46-113) of his three-point attempts and 73% (36-50) from the charity strip. In conference play he is hitting over 50% (31-61) of his triples and 80% (20-25) at the free throw line.

In the last six games of the season, Stieber drilled 59% (20-34) of his three-point shots.

Stieber started every game for the Dawgs and averaged 7.4 PPG while grabbing 4.0 rebound per contest. He scored a season-high 20 points vs Longwood on February 29^th.

After graduation, Stieber, who is the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Dick Bennett and the nephew of Virginia national championship-winning head coach Tony Bennett, plans on pursuing a career in coaching.

Stieber joins Mike Byron, who won the award in 2014, as the only other player to win the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award under Coach Craft.

"Lucas has truly exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete," said Craft. "He has displayed hard work, sacrifice, and servant leadership on and off the court and in all areas of his life. He is an excellent representative for Gardner-Webb and the Big South Conference as the Scholar Athlete of the Year."

Dr. Andrew Goodrich, Vice President, and Director of Athletics at Gardner-Webb University, commented on these accomplishments, saying, "I'm incredibly proud of the effort that these three impressive young men put in on the basketball court this season," said Goodrich. "Lucas winning Scholar Athlete of the Year is a tremendous honor for himself, his family, and the Runnin' Bulldogs community. He is an incredible young man who has impacted his teammates in such a positive way as much off the court as he has on it. All three players have made the Gardner-Webb community proud this year!"