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3/6/2008 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
Gardner-Webb Runs Past Stetson
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Trailing by one at halftime, the No. 6 seed Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs came out on fire in the second half to pull away from the No. 3 Stetson Hatters to record an 82-62 triumph in the first round of the 2008 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship. The Bulldogs shot nearly 65 percent from the field (18-of-28) and didn't miss a free throw (14-14) in the second half and outscored the Hatters 54-33 to put the game out of reach.
Nate Blank, the 2008 A-Sun Freshman of the Year, provided the spark for Gardner-Webb's second half run by scoring 17 of his game-high 21 following intermission. Blank shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and had two steals. Aaron Linn tallied 15 points and seven boards, while Thomas Sanders, the 2008 A-Sun Player of the Year, added 13.
The Hatters were led by A.J. Smith, who had 16 points and five rebounds. The Hatters turned the ball over twice as much as the Bulldogs, giving it away 18 times that resulted in 17 Gardner-Webb points. The Hatters also struggled from long distance, going only 2-of-14 from three-point land.
Trailing by 11 with 4:34 to remaining in the first, the Bulldogs ended the half on an 11-1 run to pull within one at the intermission. They would take the lead for the first time in the game at the 16:37 mark in the second half on a lay-up by Grayson Flitner, making the score 37-35. From that point on, the Bulldogs outscored the Hatters 31-13 to open up a 68-48 lead.
With the win, the Bulldogs become the first lower-seeded team to earn a victory in the A-Sun conference tournament. Gardner-Webb will now face Jacksonville on Friday night at 6:00 at Lipscomb's Allen Arena.
