JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  – The Gardner-Webb (4-29) men's basketball team saw its season come to a close Friday afternoon as the Runnin' Bulldogs fell to High Point (28-4), 81–59, in the Big South Tournament Quarterfinals at Freedom Hall.

High Point jumped out early and maintained control throughout, but Gardner-Webb continued to battle for the full 40 minutes in the postseason matchup. The Panthers built an early double-digit advantage and carried a 43–27 lead into halftime before closing out the victory in the second half.

Jacob Hudson led the way offensively for the Runnin' Bulldogs, finishing with a team-high 19 points while playing a game-high 38 minutes. He shot 7-of-17 from the field and added five free throws while also contributing three rebounds.

Jacob Hogarth provided a strong presence inside, recording nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Gardner-Webb on the glass. Spence Sims added 12 points off the bench, knocking down three three-pointers, while Colin Hawkins chipped in six points and three assists. 

Gardner-Webb showed improved efficiency in the second half, shooting over 41 percent from the floor after the break, but High Point's balanced attack and strong rebounding effort helped the Panthers keep their advantage. High Point finished the game shooting 43.3 percent and held a 48–36 edge on the boards.

The Runnin' Bulldogs were able to trim the score to 64-52 following a three-pointer by Riek Riek late in the second half, but could not draw any closer as High Point used a 17-2 run while putting the game out of reach.