Boiling Springs, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb Lady Bulldogs (17-3, 6-1 Big South) will look to round out its first trip through the Big South with a win, as GWU hosts Coastal Carolina (12-6, 3-3 Big South) on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.  Gardner-Webb will be looking to make it six wins a row and continue to sit atop of the Big South regular season standings at the half way point of the conference season.

Gardner-Webb is off to its best start since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000-01, as the Lady Bulldogs are 17-3 thus far this season.  GWU started last season 5-2, what was its best start until this season. 

Gardner-Webb’s win over Liberty on January 2 got the Lady Bulldogs on the right track in conference play this season, posting a 6-1 record thus far.  Last season, GWU started its conference slate 0-4 with its first conference win not coming until January 17, a 60-50 win over Charleston Southern.

With the 80-39 win over Presbyterian College on January 24, GWU head coach Rick Reeves tied Luby Lichonczak, formerly of Radford, for third as one of the winningest coaches in Big South History with 158 wins.  With a win on Saturday afternoon at home over Coastal Carolina, Coach Reeves will move into third-place all time on the list, coincidently right behind current Coastal Carolina Coach Alan LeForce.

Junior guard Dominique Hudson’s four assist in the 80-39 win at PC on January 25 propelled her to the top of the list as the all-time Division I career assist leader at Gardner-Webb.  Hudson, who has tallied 319 assists, surpassed former DI career assists’ leader Casey Collins. Collins dished out 316 career assists during her four-year career at GWU.

The Lady Bulldogs have had consistency in the scoring column all season long by a number of its players.  Senior forward Margaret Roundtree has scored in double figures in 16 out of the Lady Bulldogs 20 games this season, while junior guard Courtney Epps has poured in 10 points or more in 12 games in 2009-10.  Fellow guards Dominique Hudson and Monique Hudson have both scored in double figures 11 times apiece thus far this season.

Gardner-Webb has had at least one player score in double figures in every game this season.  In fact, the Lady Bulldogs have had at least two players score in double figures in each game thus far this season.  GWU has also had 10 different players score double-digit points at least once in a game thus far this season.

Over the last two seasons, Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, N.C. has truly become a home for the Lady Bulldogs, as GWU is 21-4 in its last 25 home games.  Last season, the Lady Bulldogs were superb at home posting an 11-2 home record at the friendly confines of Paul Porter Arena.  Gardner-Webb won its first nine home contests last season, the Lady Bulldogs longest home winning streak since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000-01.  This season GWU is 10-2 at home, having lost its home opener versus Houston on November 13 and to Radford on January 4.

Coastal Carolina is 12-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play this season, putting them in the middle of the pack in the Big South standings midway through the conference season.  The Lady Chants, who were picked fourth in the Big South preseason coaches’ poll, have struggled on the road this season posting a 2-5 record overall and an 0-2 road record in conference play. 

Coastal Carolina is coming off a home loss to the Liberty Lady Flames and will be looking to bounce back with a win over the Lady Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. Coastal Carolina averages 58.5 points per game his season, led by a strong outside attack, as the Lady Chants are second in the conference in 3-pt field goal percentage at 35.7 percent per contest.  However, the Lady Chanticleers are not afraid to mix it up down low, as Coastal averages 13.4 free throws made per game. 

Defensively, the Lady Chants are holding its opponents to 57.2 points per game, as Coastal is averaging 10.1 steals per outing and forcing its opponents to cough up the ball 20 times per contest. 

Junior guard Sydnei Moss leads the Lady Chants with 15.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game thus far this season, while senior guard Amanda Stull is pouring in 10.8 points per game and leads the team defensively with 53 steals on the year.  The Lady Chanticleers are not a deep team, as only seven players average 20 minutes or more per game thus far this season, with Moss and Stull both sitting around 30 minutes per contest.

Gardner-Webb is 0-2 in its NCAA Division I history against the Lady Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina with both losses coming in conference play last year.  Coastal Carolina shot lights out in the teams’ first two meeting in Conway, S.C., as the Lady Chants defeated the Lady Bulldogs 70-54.  In the second meeting in early March, the Lady Bulldogs were shorthanded, dressing only eight players due to injuries, as Coastal Carolina defeated GWU 60-57 in Paul Porter Arena.

Lady Bulldog fans can follow the action via live video web stream, live stats or the radio.  The live video web stream is brought to you by the Big South Network and is available at http://www.bigsouthsports.com. Live stats will be available by going to http://www.gwusports.com and clicking on the live stats link.  The play-by-play action unfolds on the radio at 88.3 WGWG FM radio or by going to its website at http://www.wgwg.org/.

Every week throughout the 2009-10 women’s basketball season, the Gardner-Webb athletic media relations’ office will produce game notes featuring the upcoming contests and reviewing the previous games.

 
Click on the pdf link below on the game notes you would like to view.

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