BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's basketball team (9-16, 6-5 Big South) scored an important Big South win and its third straight win overall on Wednesday night, using a late surge to beat Charleston Southern (8-17, 6-6 Big South), 56-44

The Runnin' Bulldogs were excellent on defense on Wednesday night, combined with just enough clutch scoring from several key players. In total, GWU held Charleston Southern to only 30% from the field and 24% from long range. While on the flip side, two Gardner-Webb players scored in double-figures and eight different players hit at least one field goal

Gardner-Webb was spurred on early by its three point shooting. Three different Runnin' Bulldogs connected from long range one each in the first, including redshirt senior Jaelyn Acker who threw up a circus shot plus the foul with 3:35 to go. After one, GWU led 16-14

Things stayed tight in the second, with Gardner-Webb taking just a 28-25 lead into halftime. After surrendering 14 first quarter points. the Runnin' Bulldogs tightened up the defense, allowing just 16 combined points over the next 20 minutes- 11 of those came in the second quarter. On offense meanwhile, junior guard Amina Gray scored the final eight points of the frame for GWU

Behind its defense, the Dawgs built a lead in the third quarter they'd not let go of. In the third, Gardner-Webb held Charleston Southern to just five points, 2-of-15 shooting, and 0-of-7 from three. The Runnin' Bulldogs managed just 10 points but were able to hold CSU without a single point over a stretch of nearly seven and a half minutes in the frame

On to the fourth quarter where freshman forward Sara Menendez went nuclear. The Spaniard erupted to score 11 fourth quarter points, hit three shots from long range, and help GWU build a lead as big as 15 points. Menendez scored all her points for the game just in the fourth quarter to ice a Gardner-Webb victory, including the final shot with 55 seconds left. With that, the Runnin' Bulldogs won a third straight game for the first time in the Terri Williams era, 56-44

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Gardner-Webb shot just 36.7% for the game, but hit 10 of its 22 field goals from three point range. The Dawgs also added 20 points in the paint, 27 points off 22 turnovers by CSU, and 21 points off the bench

LEADERS
Gray continued to lead Gardner-Webb in scoring with 15 points, 6-of-12 overall and 3-of-5 from long range, Menendez added 11 points on 4-of-6 overall and 3-of-5 from downtown, Acker added seven points all in the third quarter, while redshirt sophomore forward Kayla Martin posted four points and eight rebounds

UP NEXT
The Runnin' Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday, February 14th at 2 pm at Presbyterian