BOILING SPRINGS N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's basketball team returns to Paul Porter Arena on Saturday afternoon, hosting Winthrop in a key contest as the Big South regular season continues to roll towards its finish

GAME INFORMATION
Game 24: Winthrop (11-13, 4-6 Big South) at Gardner-Webb (7-16, 4-5 Big South)
Location: Paul Porter Arena - Boiling Springs, N.C.
Stream: ESPN Plus
Tip-Off: 2:00 pm
Series History: GWU leads 28-10
Previous Meeting: December 31st, - GWU, 54-48

THE MATCH-UP: On Saturday afternoon, one of longest running rivalries for Gardner-Webb resumes as the Runnin' Bulldogs face Winthrop for the 39th time in the NCAA Division I era. Winthrop has struggled all-time in Boiling Springs, with the Dawgs holding a 16-4 record against the Eagles in Paul Porter Arena since 2002

LAST TIME OUT: One of the most exciting games of the Terri Williams era so far, Gardner-Webb defeated UNC Asheville 54-52 last Friday in a rescheduled game, with senior guard Nyla Walker completing the comeback with a game-winning shot with just 1.5 seconds remaining in the contest. The win moved GWU to 4-5 in the Big South Conference this season and kept the Dawgs in the thick of a competitive Big South race

BIG TIME PLAYER: Despite only playing 21 minutes last Friday and scoring just 8 points, Walker delivered maybe the two biggest plays of the season for Gardner-Webb. The senior guard forced the steal leading to the final change in possession, then calmly rose to knock down the game winning shot from mid-range, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a key win on the road

SENIOR LEADER: In last Wednesday night's game against Presbyterian, redshirt senior guard Jaelyn Acker posted one of her best games in a Gardner-Webb uniform. The Furman transfer played 35 minutes, hit 5-of-11 overall from the field, knocked down four three-pointers, and recorded four steals and three rebounds. Acker is second on the team this season with 44 three-point makes and a 31.9% mark from distance

BACK IN THE LINEUP: Junior guard Anaya Harris returned to the Gardner-Webb lineup on December 13th and has quickly made her presence known once again. The Raleigh, N.C. native dropped 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting in her season debut against Western Carolina, scored 20 in the loss to UNC Asheville, and despite only scoring eight points against USC Upstate, scored the game-clinching bucket with under a minute to play

PRESS TO RUN: The strength of the Runnin' Bulldogs team so far in 2025-26 has been defense. In seven wins, Gardner-Webb is allowing only 51.5 points per game. This includes its win over UNC Asheville on Friday, where the GWU held the Bulldogs to just 26.4% for the game and 13% from three, and an eye-watering 3-of-14 in the fourth quarter. In its seven wins, Gardner-Webb has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 62 points and three times the Dawgs have held opponents to under 50 points

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Four teams enter Saturday's action in the Big South within a game or half-game of each other in the league standings. Charleston Southern holds the No. 4 seed at 5-5, trailed by Gardner-Webb at No. 5 with a 4-5 record, and Winthrop and UNC Asheville are tied right behind at 4-6 in conference play