JOHNSON CITY, TENN. - On the road on Thursday night, the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team takes the floor in one of its final non-conference tests of the season, facing off with East Tennessee State at 7 pm

GAME INFORMATION
Game 13: Gardner-Webb (3-9) at ETSU (4-8)
Location: Brooks Gymnasium - Johnson City, Tenn.
Stream: ESPN Plus
Tip-Off: 7:00 pm
Series History: ETSU leads 5-4
Previous Meeting: 2024 - ETSU 44, Gardner-Webb 42

THE MATCH-UP: On Thursday night, the Bucs and Runnin' Bulldogs meet for the third straight season. ETSU has since taken a narrow 5-4 lead in the all-time series, after winning each of the last two games. ETSU won in Boiling Springs in a physical, low-scoring game on Education Day last November, blocking two potential GWU game winning threes at the buzzer to prevail 44-42

WELCOME BACK: Junior guard Anaya Harris returned to the floor last Saturday against Western Carolina for her first action of the 2025-26 season. Harris returned in a big way en route to a Big South Player of The Week nomination, scoring 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 2-of-4 from three, along with two assists, two steals and two rebounds in a 77-62 win for the Dawgs

STAR FRESHMAN: Though she had been posting solid numbers through the first two months of the season, freshman guard Makayla Legette really broke out in the win over Western Carolina. The Latta, S.C. native scored 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from three, while nearly recording a triple-double with nine rebounds and nine assists. Legette is the active Big South Freshman of The Week award winner

PRESS TO RUN: The strength of the Runnin' Bulldogs team so far in 2025-26 has been defense. In three wins, Gardner-Webb is allowing only 51 points per game, including a season-low 35 in a win over Hampton on November 16th where the Pirates shot 21.2% for the game and 14.% from three. GWU also ranks fourth in the Big South Conference in total steals with 117, good for an average of 9.75 per game

SCOUTING THE BUCS: Under fifth year head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick Brown, ETSU is off to a 4-8 start in 2025-26. The Bucs have been an impressive defensive team so far this season, allowing only 62.6 points per game, the third best mark in the SonCon. They've done so with an offense that scores just 55.4 points per game meanwhile, the worst in the league. ETSU nationally is just 358th in field goal makes per game (18.1) but 60th in free throws made per game (14.5)