GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Gardner-Webb (0-9, 0-1) women's lacrosse team put together a valiant effort but ultimately fell short at Furman (7-2, 1-0) by the final of 15-5 on Wednesday evening inside Paladin Stadium.
Furman started the contest fast, scoring the game's first goal less than a minute into the opening quarter, but the Runnin' Bulldogs turned the defensive pressure up while not allowing the lead to double.
That resilience paid off at the 5:53 mark of the period as Ella Grace Bishop found a cutting Jules Brown for her second score of the season, knotting the score at 1-1. That tie did not last long after Gianna Nardini took advantage of a free position shot just over two minutes later, beating the keeper for a GWU 2-1 lead after the initial 15 minutes.
Emma Duchscherer put the 'Dawgs up two with her team-leading 13th goal of the season five minutes into the second period. After Furman posted its second score, Nardini was at it again, posting her second goal of the game after a beautiful pass from Jonni Saluppo.
The Paladins were able to net the final three goals of the half while taking a 5-4 lead into the intermission.
Furman began to take control of the game in the second half, scoring the only three goals of the third period before running that scoring streak to six straight with a trio of scores to begin the final period. Brown was able to stop the burst with her second of the game, trimming the deficit to 11-5, but the Paladins finished strong with the final four points while eventually taking the game 15-5.
Gardner-Webb returns to the friendly confines of Spangler Stadium on Saturday, March 29, playing host to the Lancers of Longwood in Big South action. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
