Bulldogs run wild in fourth, muscle way past Winthrop
Gardner-Webb closed out the fourth quarter on a 20-3 run to claim a 70-52 Big South Conference victory over Winthrop on Saturday afternoon in Paul Porter Arena.
Winthrop opened the final quarter on a follow shot off an offensive rebound by Arianne Whitaker to tie the game at 47 all. The Eagles still trailed by only a single point at 50-49 with 8:39 left in the game following a three-pointer by GWU’s Alexus Hill and a runner by Aliyah Kilpatrick, but at that point, Winthrop missed its next 11 shots and the Bulldogs took advantage by scoring 17 unanswered points in just over six minutes to put the game away.
With its fourth straight loss, Winthrop’s record drops to 3-19 overall and 2-11 conference while Gardner-Webb improves to 15-8 and 9-4. The Eagles, who have been devastated by injuries this season, dressed eight players for the game, including two walk-ons.
“I thought we had seized the momentum when Kayla Atkins ran the floor and got the layup in the final seconds of the third quarter to tie game,” said Winthrop head coach Kevin Cook. “But the story of the game was our lack of defensive rebounding. You cannot give up 21 offensive rebounds.” Winthrop was outrebounded 51-27 in the game.
“We just have to find a way to finish the job,” said Cook. “We need to learn the value of blocking out on the defensive glass and we need to play with more poise and more energy in the fourth quarter.”
Whitaker and Kilpatrick led by the Eagles in scoring with 15 points each. For Whitaker, a freshman, it marked the second straight game she has scored her season high. She also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. GWU placed three players in double figures with Hill leading all scorers with 18. Brown and Tierra Huntsman each finished with 13 points.
Winthrop will take a week off from game action before hosting Coastal Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m.
This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Bulldogs run wild in fourth, muscle way past Winthrop."