By Jacari Shell; Photos by Dakota Hawxwell
North Charleston, S.C.—The Gardner-Webb Lady Bulldogs (10-13, 7-4 Big South) defeated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (10-14, 6-5 Big South) in their Feb. 8 game at the Buccaneer Field House.
The basketball team won by a margin of 13 points in the 64 to 51 game.
The Lady bulldogs were led by guard Ashley Hawkins, who had accumulated a total of 30 points throughout the game.
Hawkins noted how proud she was of her performance and, more importantly, the team’s performance.
“I think I am most proud of how we worked together as a team. My teammates set good screens for me to open so I could score. We played great defense as a whole. Also, we played very selflessly,” said Hawkins.
Despite the victory, the game was not without its challenges. Gardner-Webb was down by four points at halftime and needed to rally.
The Lady Bulldogs would go on to outscore the Buccaneers 26 points to nine points in a strong third quarter showing.
“We knew we didn’t play the best we could, especially on offense. So, we knew if we came out with energy and kept playing good defense, we would be fine,” noted Hawkins.
The Lady Bulldogs continued outscoring the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter and won the game. This victory marked their third consecutive victory of the season.
Gardner-Webb will return to action on March 1 to face the Presbyterian Blue Hose in a Big South Conference matchup. Fans may attend the game at 1 p.m. in the Paul Porter Arena or stream the contest live on ESPN plus.
For more information, visit the official Gardner-Webb sports page at https://gwusports.com/.