On a nationally televised game on ESPNU between two fun to look squads from the Big South Conference, the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs prevailed in one of the wildest games of the year against the Radford Highlanders.
This was an important game for Radford, who had not gotten a win in conference yet this season, while they were one of the preseason favorites. Gardner-Webb, a team that has wins over Clemson and Purdue, has one of the best and craftiest offenses in the nation, but needed a win to keep up with conference leader Coastal Carolina.
Both teams were fired up throughout in this game of runs. In the first half, Gardner-Webb got down the floor in transition offense often and coverted, as the Highlanders of Radford were sloppy, creating enough turnovers to keep Arby's in business for decades. However, star shooter RJ Price led the squad back into contention. The Highlanders then turned up the heat on defense, putting Gardner-Webb in jams by swallowing them up. Radford's 6th and 7th men off the bench, Jalen Carethers and Kion Brown, both came alive by driving to the bucket for some easy lay-ins, and the team from southwestern Virginia held a 36-27 lead at halftime.
However, you can never could out the boys from Boiling Springs, NC. Gardner-Webb came out swinging, as team leading scorer Jerome Hill parted the Radford Red Sea defense multiple times to get inside for layups, and one of the nation's best floor generals, Tyler Strange, was creating offense all over the court. Strange ended up with 16 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and a block in an all-around energetic performance.
Isaiah Ivey came off of the bench late to give GW a spark, and at the 2:56 mark, Strange hit a 3-pointer to give his squad an 8 point lead. But Radford laid down the gauntlet in the final 3 minutes, creating more turnovers and give themselves some transition offense. Javonte Green continued his huge game for the Highlanders by hitting some more jump shots, and with 26 seconds left in regulation, Green got inside for a huge layup to tie the game. Gardner-Webb could not hit on their final possession of the 2nd half, and the game went to overtime.
Javonte Green scored 8 of Radford's 10 points in the first extra session, while the Runnin' Bulldogs' 3rd best player Tyrell Nelson got himself into the party by hitting some big shots. At the end of this OT, the two teams were knotted up at 74 points a piece.
In the wild 2nd overtime, Gardner-Webb got off to a quick start with Nelson and Ivey scoring consecutive layups to give GW a 4 point advantage. Green tried to keep the jive alive for the Highlanders, including a thunderous reverse dunk that shocked everyone in the crowd, but it wasn't enough. Tyler Strange, the MVP for GW's game, hit some key costless throws down the stretch, while Radford scuttled with some ill-advised plays, and the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs survived, 88-85.
This was a heart-breaking loss for Radford, as they now are in a big hole in conference play. They showed that they are still a great team that could beat anyone in the conference, but some bone-headed turnovers cost them dearly. When they head back home on Saturday against Presbyterian, they will need to tighten up and play like they are supposed to play and beat the lowly conference foe.
Gardner-Webb now is 2-1 in the Big South, putting them in prime position to go against Coastal Carolina, High Point, and UNC-Asheville for the conference crown. They will take on Keon Moore's Winthrop Eagles on Saturday by staying at home in Boiling Springs.