SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Sophomore guard Darryl Simmons II scored a game-high 27 points while leading the Gardner-Webb (10-15, 5-6) men's basketball team to a 96-87 win over USC Upstate (5-23, 1-12) on Saturday afternoon inside of the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
Graduate guard Anthony Selden chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds while graduate forward Jamaine Mann added 17 and nine boards. Junior guard Pharrell Boyogueno posted his first double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Senior forward Isaiah Richards was the fifth 'Dawg to record double-digit scoring, finishing with 11.
 
Upstate doubled-up GWU 10-5 early in the first period before an 18-2 offensive explosion pushed the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead 23-12 at the 11:42 mark of the period. The Spartans came back to knot the score at 25-all, but a tough layup followed by a Simmons triple extended the lead to five for the visitors.
 
The Spartans continued to battle, remaining close with GWU, but it would be the 'Dawgs racing back to a double-digit lead, 42-32, with less than four to play. Upstate outscored Gardner-Webb 11-8 down the stretch but still trailed 50-43 at the break.
 
Half two started evenly contested as the two teams traded the initial 24 points before a pair of free throws by senior forward Ademide Badmus gave Gardner-Webb its biggest lead of the game, 82-68, with 5:54 left in regulation.
 
A pair of makes at the charity stripe by Karmani Gregory allowed the Spartans to narrow the gap to 88-83, but that was as close as the score would get as Gardner-Webb closed out the conference win scoring eight of the final 12 points.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, February 19, traveling to Farmville, Va. to face the Lancers of Longwood. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.