BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University (8-12, 3-4) men's basketball team took league-leading UNC Asheville (14-6, 5-1) to the wire but could not capture the win, falling to the Bulldogs by the final of 61-53 on Wednesday evening.
 
Sophomore guard Darryl Simmons II led the Runnin' Bulldogs with a game-high 18 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Graduate forward Jamaine Mann chipped in 17 points and six boards. Asheville edged GWU on the glass, 41-40.
 
Gardner-Webb came out of the gate strong as Mann scored the first seven points of the contest as the 'Dawgs held the conference's number one scoring team to zero points heading into the first media timeout.
 
However, UNC Asheville came back strong following the brief hiatus, ripping off a run of 9-2 before knotting the score at 9-all at the midway mark of the opening half. However, Simmons came back with back-to-back three pointers while the Runnin' Bulldogs earned their biggest lead of the game, 26-13. The Bulldogs outscored GWU 7-3 down the stretch but it would be the home team taking a 29-20 lead into halftime.
 
UNC Asheville was able to trim the deficit to 33-27 before Simmons once again dialed distance in consecutive possessions, pushing the Gardner-Webb lead back to double-digits with 16:25 remaining in regulation.
 
Junior guard Pharrell Boyogueno connected on a corner three to push the 'Dawgs ahead 43-37, but Asheville ripped off a commanding 20-4 run over nine minutes of game action, soaring ahead by double-digits, 57-47, with just over three minutes left in the second half.
 
Gardner-Webb tallied the next six points while closing the gap to six, but that would be as close as the Runnin' Bulldogs would come, falling 61-53 for their first home conference loss of the season.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, January 29, playing host to the Lancers of Longwood in Big South action. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Paul Porter Arena.