| Games 13 & 14: Charleston Southern (1-11, 0-8 Big South) at Gardner-Webb (4-9, 3-5 Big South) |
After more schedule changes, Charleston Southern hits the road once again, this time the third and fourth contests of in the state of North Carolina.
Charleston Southern makes their second trip to the Tar Heel state in just 10 days after falling in a pair at UNC Asheville. The Bucs' eight games in the state of North Carolina are the most by a road Big South team as they are one of two conference members to play at all four schools that call the Tar Heel state home joining Presbyterian.
Charleston Southern returns to Paul Porter Arena where they capped a three-game win streak in the state of North Carolina last season taking down High Point and Campbell on the road in a span of nine days.
Last Time Out
- Charleston Southern saw a career performance from Ja'Quavian Florence and four players in double figures, but UNC Asheville used a late run for the game's eighth and final lead change taking the Friday afternoon win 83-75 in Big South men's basketball action.
- Charleston Southern shot nearly 57% from the floor in the first half and led by as many as seven thanks to 13 points from freshman Emorie Knox before UNC Asheville closed the game on a 16-6 run including an 11-0 spurt to complete the sweep.
- Ja'Quavian Florence scored 15 of his career-high 21 points in the second half finishing a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line as Phlandrous Fleming Jr. had 16, Knox added 13 and Sean Price scored 12 in the loss.
- UNC Asheville got 20 points from Taijon Jones for the second-straight contest as five total Bulldogs – LJ Thorpe (18), Trent Stephney (15), Jamon Battle (13) and Lavar Batts Jr. (10) – finished in double figures.
- Charleston Southern held the 42-40 lead at the break thanks to a three-point play from Sean Price right before the buzzer. That lead was short-lived as the Bulldogs used a 10-0 run in the first two minutes at 50-42 with 17:17 to play.
- Neither side led by more than eight points as the two combined for 48 points in the paint and shot nearly 50% in the contest.
Scouting the Runnin' Bulldogs
- Gardner-Webb split three of their first four Big South series with their only series loss coming to unbeaten Winthrop on the road. In their three splits, the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped the first contest then won going-away in the second game.
- Two of the Runnin' Bulldogs' three Big South wins have come at home including an 84-57 thrashing of UNC Asheville last time out.
- Four athletes average at least 9.0 points for Gardner-Webb with Lance Terry (15.5 ppg), Jaheam Cornwall (12.8 ppg), and Jacob Falko (12.0 ppg) each scoring 12-plus points a night. Terry has only played in six contests for the Runnin' Bulldogs but has shot the lights out when on the floor.
- Cornwall sits 10th in the Big South in scoring, 4th in free throw percentage and assists while Ludovic Dufeal and Kareem Reid both rank among the top-6 in blocked shots.
- Gardner-Webb averages the fourth-most points in the Big South thanks to their 8.8 shots from deep a night, tops in the conference. Gardner-Webb also ranks second in free throw percentage.
Series History
- Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb have split the last three regular season series with the home teams winning both matchups in 2017-18 and 2018-19 then the two road teams taking the wins in 2019-20.
- Last season's 92-83 2OT thriller was the third matchup that needed more than 40 minutes to decide a winner with Gardner-Webb taking the first two and CSU winning last season's 50-minute affair.
- Game two of the series comes exactly one year to the day of the 92-83 2OT battle.
- Only two meetings in series history happened before Gardner-Webb joined the Big South in the 2008-09 season, both coming in Boiling Springs.
- Charleston Southern has at least one win over the Runnin' Bulldogs the last three seasons after Gardner-Webb took eight-straight between the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons.
A Series Win Would…
- Give the Bucs a pair of Big South wins
- Make it three-straight wins inside Paul Porter Arena
- Be the first two road wins of January
