BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A pair of Carley Plentovich free throws with 0.04 remaining in regulation broke a tie game and lifted Gardner-Webb past the Longwood women's basketball team 80-78 Saturday evening inside Paul Porter Arena.
Gardner-Webb (12-11, 6-5 Big South) avoids the season sweep against the Lancers (2-19, 1-10 Big South) just eight days on the heels of Longwood's thrilling overtime win inside Willett Hall. Savannah Plentovich finished with a team-high 15 points while Jhessyka Williams added 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting and collected 11 rebounds for a double-double performance. Ky'Asia Stanford and Morgan Pointer also added 10 each.
Gardner-Webb overcame a dominant second half performance from
Dayna Rouse, who scored 20 of her game-high 22 points after halftime and collected 11 rebounds while
Ciarah Bennett scored 17 points and added six assists.
Kate Spradlin joined them in double figures with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting while
Kristina Antonenko scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Stephanie Guihon was the fifth Lancer to finish in double figures with 12 points, as Longwood shot .500 (23-of-46) from the floor.
"Both teams have answers for one another and we both like to get up and down the court," said head coach
Rebecca Tillett. "For us to beat them for our first win in the Big South last week, we knew that they'd be tuned in to their game plan and ready to attack us."
After Gardner-Webb opened the second half on a 13-2 run to take their largest lead of the night, Longwood battled back and took a three-point lead with 14 seconds remaining. Plentovich hit a three-pointer with two seconds left before Gardner-Webb got the ball back after a Longwood turnover before Carley Plentovich forced a foul and made both of her free throws to seal the win.
"They got their lead up to 11 in the third quarter and we refused to back down and go away," Tillett said. "It's so hard to end the game that way and not make the right plays in the last couple of possessions to finish it out."
The double-double performance from Rouse – her fourth of the season – comes exactly one week following her monstrous Longwood Division I record 34 points against the same Runnin' Bulldog team. It marks her fourth double-double in Big South play, as she finished Saturday 7-of-13 shooting and had her fourth 20-point performance of the season.
"Gardner-Webb had a real good defensive plan for Dayna in the first half and Dayna did a nice job of staying patient and composed," Tillett said. "Her teammates did a great job of finding her and getting her the basketball too."
Bennett's six assists came one week on the heels of her career-best 12 assist effort against the Runnin' Bulldogs, as the Camden, N.J. product has scored in double figures in six of the last 12 games. Meanwhile, Spradlin scores in double figures for the second straight game with 4-of-6 performance from beyond the arc.
Up next, Longwood returns to Willett Hall to square off against Big South newcomer USC Upstate Tuesday, Feb. 12. That game is set for a 7 p.m. opening tip.
"USC Upstate was where we started to make a turning point in how we play as a unit," Tillett said. "I'm excited to get them on our home floor this week. They like to score the ball and they play a defense similar to ours, so it's always interesting to watch two teams with a similar strategy to one another."
#GoWood
