Nov. 27, 2010

Box Score

Williamsburg, Va. - Gardner-Webb erased a 17-point first half deficit and held on from the free throw line to down Western Carolina, 71-65, in the 2010 Legend's Classic Saturday evening at the Kaplan Arena.

WCU's Mike Williams matched a career-high with 24 points to lead the Catamounts, but the Runnin' Bulldogs scored 24 points from the charity stripe, connecting on 7-of-8 free throws inside the final minute to secure the victory.

Western Carolina will wrap-up play in the 2010 Legend's Classic on Sunday afternoon by facing the host William & Mary Tribe at 4:30 pm in the tournament finale. Sunday's game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network with a 4:00 pm air time.

Williams opened the game a perfect 4-for-4 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers to score 12 of the Catamounts' first 15 points. The Baton Rouge, La., native reached double-digit scoring for the fifth time in the first six games just seven minutes into the contest. Redshirt freshman Trey Sumler then came on and scored 10-straight points for WCU in less than two minutes as the Catamounts used a 20-to-2 run to erase a one-point deficit and build a 17-point edge, 25-8, midway through the opening half.

However, the Catamounts cooled from the field the final five minutes as Gardner-Webb chipped away at the WCU advantage.

Brandon Boggs connected on a jumper at the 4:51 mark to give the Catamounts a 13-point, 34-21, edge over Gardner-Webb. But, after the freshman's field goal, WCU missed its final four shots from the floor, committed two turnovers and scored its only points on 3-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. Gardner-Webb rallied to tie the game, converting an old-fashioned three-point play inside the final second to knot the game at 37 at the break.

"I thought it was a good start for us tonight. Our aggressiveness was good and our press I felt was a real factor early on and good for us all night long," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter during post-game comments on the Catamount Sports Network. "Looking back at the last 10 minutes of the first half, we really struggled to score. We missed some of the same shots we were hitting earlier and missed some free throws. As we quit scoring, we let that impact us on the defensive end."

Out of the halftime locker room, Gardner-Webb pulled out to a six-point lead four minutes in only to see the Catamounts' Williams rattle off five-straight points to close within one, 48-47. But the Runnin' Bulldogs managed to maintain the advantage until Preston Ross took a pass from Harouna Mutombo and drained a 3-pointer at the top of the key to knot the game at 54.

Yet, eight unanswered points by Gardner-Webb gave the Runnin' Bulldogs their largest lead of the game, 62-54, with four and a half minutes remaining in the game. WCU was only able to close within three twice in the closing moments as GWU held the Catamounts at bay from the free throw line.

Williams, who led the team with six rebounds, was joined in double figures by Sumler with 12 points while Keaton Cole, who made his first start of the season, chipped in eight points.

"Mike (Williams) was pretty solid tonight and really gave us a lift offensively," Hunter added. "We're still learning a little bit about our team."

The Runnin' Bulldogs, which snapped a two-game losing skid, put four players in double figures led by 12 by Laron Buggs and Jon Moore. Mike Byron and Josh Henley both scored 10 for Gardner-Webb. Moore connected on 7-of-8 free throws inside the final 30 seconds for GWU.