NCAAB Game Recap - Gardner-Webb at Radford
Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:00 PM EDT

Navy
70
Colg
80
F
JMU
67
Hof
76
F
Lib
74
Lipsco
68
F
ETSU
72
Woff
81
F
Iona
73
Sien
57
F
GWebb
76
Radf
65
F
Leh
75
Buck
97
F
UNCW
59
NE
80
F
Furm
62
UNCG
66
F
Monm
73
Canis
59
F
Drex
61
Charl
73
F
SDak
70
IPFW
96
F
Del
85
W&M
79
F
ORU
73
NDSU
86
F
NrthIA
54
Brad
57
F
Hou
85
Cin
69
F
Wisc
73
OhSt
67
F(OT)
Ill
56
PSU
72
F
Rut
73
Ind
89
F
UConn
82
ECU
73
F
Iowa
91
Nebras
93
F(OT)
SMU
77
SoFL
71
F

Mar 10, 2019, 1:00 PM EDT

Final

1

2

T

(4) Gardner-Webb

27

49

76

(2) Radford

22

43

65

Gardner-Webb beats Radford 76-65, makes NCAA Tournament
Sun Mar 10, 2019 5:51 PM

RADFORD, Va. (AP) DJ Laster's best game ensured it wouldn't be his last.

Laster scored a career-high 32 points and Gardner-Webb took command with a first-half run and beat Radford 76-65 on Sunday to win the Big South Tournament championship and earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Laster was dominant throughout, making 14 of 17 shots and grabbing six rebounds.

"I just knew I had to play hard, needed to play hard," he said, a piece of the championship net stuck inside the adjustable strap on his championship cap. "I just wanted to leave my legacy on the court, leave it all out there, so I just came with that mindset from the jump ball."

Laster had 30 of the Runnin' Bulldogs' first 44 points, including the last five during a 12-0 first-half run and seven during a 13-5 second-half run that gave them a 46-33 lead. He kept the offense humming as the Bulldogs' top scorer, David Efianayi, struggled.

"I just felt I couldn't miss," Laster said.

It seemed that way to the Highlanders, too.

"He just dominated the paint and his teammates got him the ball is good positions," said Ed Polite Jr., the Big South defensive player of the year. "Once he got hot and gained confidence, it was hard to take that from him."

Gardner-Webb (23-11) saw its lead shrink to five several times, but each time it scored the next points to hold off the Highlanders. The first time, Jose Perez fed Laster inside for a bucket. Next, Efianayi hit a jumper. Then Perez hit one of the Bulldogs' five 3-pointers.

Efianayi added 15 points, all in the final 12:18, and Jose Perez had 11 for Gardner-Webb.

Donald Hicks had 17 points, Polite 15 and Carlik Jones 14 for Radford (22-11), which was trying to win its fourth conference title and seeking a repeat of last season, when it followed a dramatic championship victory with its first win in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Highlanders never fully recovered after going scoreless for 8:08 in the first half as the Bulldogs built a 20-7 lead. They closed to within five by halftime and again in the second half but couldn't stop the fourth-seeded Bulldogs, who earned their spot in the championship by knocking off top-seeded Campbell on Friday night.

"They were locked in," said Radford coach Mike Jones, whose team beat Gardner-Webb 75-58 during the season. "They set the tone right from the beginning. They established Laster right from the beginning and it was hard to shut that water off once it started running."

Gardner-Webb led 27-22 at halftime and was up 33-28 before Laster led a 13-5 run with seven points, including one of his two 3-pointers and a dunk.

"We tried what we had tried before, which was to come out and punch them in the mouth at the beginning of the second half, but they didn't budge," Jones said.

BIG PICTURE

Gardner-Webb: Laster's huge day helped the Runnin' Bulldogs overcome the absence of Efianayi (18.5 points per game) from the score sheet until he made a pair of free throws with 12:18 remaining. Efianayi followed shortly thereafter with a dunk and carried the scoring down the stretch.

Radford: The game may have been the last at home for Polite, a first-team All-Big South selection who fouled out with 31.6 seconds left. Polite had 15 points and five rebounds and is the only player in league history with 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 175 steals, 175 assists and 150 blocks.

UP NEXT

Gardner-Webb: Will play in the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin' Bulldogs, from Boiling Springs, North Carolina, moved up to Division I for the 2002-03 season. NBA Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore and All-Star John Drew are among those who played for the school before then.

Radford: Will hope for a postseason invitation.

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Leaders

Gardner-Webb PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Laster 32 0 0 6 0 0
D. Efianayi 15 0 5 3 2 1
Radford PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Hicks 17 0 0 3 0 0
E. Polite Jr. 15 0 1 5 0 3

Team Comparison

GWebb Radf
Points For 76 65
Field Goals 25/48-52% 28/68-41%
Three Pointers 5/17-29% 7/23-30%
Free Throws 21/28-75% 2/3-67%
Offensive Rebounds 9 14
Defensive Rebounds 26 17
Rebounds 35 32
Blocks 1 3
Steals 3 5
Turnovers 8 5
Personal Fouls 11 19
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2018-19 Reg Season - Series Tied 1-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Thu Jan 17 GWebb 58 @ Radf 75 D. Efianayi 17 D. Hicks 18
Sun Mar 10 GWebb 76 @ Radf 65 D. Laster 32 D. Hicks 17

Game Information

Stadium: Dedmon Center, Radford, Virginia
Attendance: 2,772
Game Time: