In spite of the efforts of freshman guard Jamarco Warren, who lead the Bucs in scoring with 21 points Saturday night, the Bucs could only salvage a split of the season series with the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, falling to the team they had defeated just two weeks ago 105-77 at Boiling Springs, N.C.

The Bulldogs had struggled of late, dropping their last four games in a row after a promising start which included the now famous victory over Kentucky. Yet, the team that defeated the Wildcats in Rupp Arena almost two months ago seemed to re-appear in the first half on this night, as Rick Scruggs' club raced out to a 50-30 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs controlled the game both offensively and defensively, shooting a scorching 61.3% from the field, and six of 13 from three point range (46.2%), while holding the Bucs to 36.7% shooting in the game's opening half. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was their leading scorer on the season, Thomas Sanders, who proved to be a particularly elusive cover for the Bucs, scoring 12 points in the game's opening 20 minutes. Backcourt mate Grayson Flittner also excelled in the opening session, scoring 10 points, including two three point makes.

While the first half was a struggle for the Bucs, there were some bright spots, highlighted by the play of the bench. Behind the play of forwards Shelton Carter (8 first half points) and Quinton Goods (4 points), the CSU bench chipped in 14 of the team's 30 points in the half's opening session.

Things would improve for CSU in the second half, as the Bucs (45.2% shooting in the second half) outshot the Bulldogs (44.4% shooting in the second half) from the field in the game's final 20. The Bucs also did an excellent job drawing fouls down the stretch, as the team attempted 24 second half free throws, making 14. Omar Carter was particularly effective in getting to the charity stripe, as the freshman hit on seven of eight free throw attempts for the game en route to 12 points.

In spite of these improvements, strong shooting from the perimeter ensured that Gardner-Webb would remain well ahead of their competition on this night. In the closing 20, the Runnin' Bulldogs connected on seven of their 10 three point attempts, allowing Scruggs' club to hit at a 56.5% clip from deep on the game. Flittner and Sanders continued to exhibit hot hands, while guard Aaron Linn joined in to the tone of 15 second half points, including three second half threes, en route to 22 for the game, tying him with Sanders for the team game high.

The Bucs rallied late, with freshman point guard Jamarco Warren leading the way. Warren hit on six of eight field goal attempts, including three of four three point shots, and scored 17 points in the second half for a team-high game total of 21. Also joining Warren and Omar Carter in double figures was Shelton Carter, who finished with 10.

The freshman's late efforts were not enough, however, as when the game's final horn sounded Gardner-Webb emerged with the 28 point victory. The Bulldogs won most statistical battles on this night, outshooting CSU for the game 52.2% to 41%, outrebounding CSU 47-35 and picking up a sparkling 23 assists against only eight turnovers. Marquise Duvall emerged with the team rebounding lead with seven, while Warren and Chris Moore tied for the team lead in assists with three a piece.

The Bucs have a chance for redemption in less than 48 hours, as CSU will travel to DeLand, Fla. for a New Year's Eve day 2:00 tip against the Hatters of Stetson University.