SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Gardner-Webb battled for 40 minutes Saturday afternoon but came up short on the road, falling 71-61 to USC Upstate in the regular season finale at the G.B. Hodge Center.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (3-28, 1-15 Big South) battled throughout, trimming the deficit to as little as four points midway through the second half, but were unable to overcome Upstate's efficiency inside and at the free-throw line down the stretch.

Jacob Hudson paced Gardner-Webb with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, attacking the paint and finishing strong in transition. Spence Sims provided a spark off the bench, knocking down four three-pointers to finish with 12 points, while D.J. Jefferson added 10 points and seven rebounds. Jamias Ferere chipped in nine points, and Jacob Hogarth anchored the glass with a team-high eight rebounds and five assists.

Gardner-Webb started strong, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes after a three-pointer from Ace Talbert. The Runnin' Bulldogs competed defensively and forced several early turnovers, but Upstate used a late first-half push to take a 31-24 advantage into the break.

In the second half, the Dawgs found their offensive rhythm, shooting over 51 percent from the floor. Back-to-back threes from Sims cut the deficit to 49-43 with just over 12 minutes to play, and a Ferere layup later made it a four-point game at 49-45. However, Upstate responded with key baskets in the paint and converted 9-of-10 free throws on the afternoon to maintain control.

Gardner-Webb finished the game shooting 41.7 percent from the field and scored 34 points in the paint while adding 24 bench points.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will now turn its attention to the Big South Men's Basketball Championship beginning Wednesday, March 4 in Johnson City, Tenn.