RADFORD, GARDNER-WEBB SET FOR SENIOR DAY SHOWDOWN

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RADFORD, Va. – The 2013 regular season comes to a close Saturday as Radford hosts Gardner-Webb for Senior Day at 2:00 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

MEET THE RUNNIN' BULLDOGS

♦ Ranking second in the Big South for field-goal percentage defense (.339), Gardner-Webb provides a stern defensive challenge for its opponents.
♦ The Runnin' Bulldogs are sharp from behind the arc, carrying a 32 percent rate from long range (fifth in the Big South). Overall, GWU has the sixth-best field-goal percentage (.380) in the league.
♦ The squad averages 44.9 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the conference.
♦ Jasmine Dale averages 10.8 points per contest (19th in league scoring) to lead her squad in the scoring column. Catrina Green chips in 9.4 points an outing (27th in league scoring).
♦ Green also leads GWU in rebounding at 9.1 caroms per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
♦ The Runnin' Bulldogs enter Saturday's tilt averaging 59.6 points per contest, while giving up 56.9 points per outing (ranks third in Big South) to its opponents.

HIGHLANDER HAPPENINGS

♦ Radford is led by Ashley Buckhannon in the scoring column at 13.0 per contest (11th-best in conference), while Victoria Hamilton crashes the boards for a team-best 8.1 rebounds per outing (ranks sixth in the league). Buckhannon (2.69) and Hamilton (2.12) rank second and 11th, respectively, in the Big South in steals. Buckhannon became the 20th member of Radford women's basketball's 1,000-point club against Campbell on Feb. 7.
♦ Jordynn Gaymon has the 11th-best average in the blocks department of the Big South at 1.09 rejections a contest.
♦ At 10.88 steals per game, Radford ranks second in the league, while ranking third in turnover margin (+2.23).

SERIES HISTORY

♦ With the all-time series deadlocked at 6-6, something has to give when the Highlanders and Gardner-Webb battle for the 13th time Saturday. Radford has a 2-3 mark against the Runnin' Bulldogs at home.

WHAT'S NEXT

♦ The Highlanders head to the 2013 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Women's Basketball Tournament next week at The HTC Center. Seeds and pairings will be announced late Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT

♦ Although Radford forced 21 Presbyterian College miscues, the Blue Hose shot 57.1 percent to prevail 57-40 over the Highlanders in Big South women's basketball action Thursday night from the Dedmon Center.
♦ Ashley Buckhannon took game-high honors with 15 points, including a 5-of-6 line from the charity stripe. Sarah Tabb joined her fellow senior in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the hardwood. Despite Radford (13-13, 8-9 Big South) being held to 29.6 percent from the floor, the squad converted 72.7 percent of its free-throw attempts.
♦ Mariah Pietrowski was two rebounds shy of a double-double as the senior chalked up 14 points and eight rebounds for Presbyterian (18-10, 13-4 Big South). Dria David and Karlee Taylor poured in 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Shonda Burnside chipped in nine points and a game-high six assists.
♦ Behind Pietrowski's 10 first-half points, Presbyterian claimed a 30-16 lead at the break. A Jordynn Gaymon jumper at the 12:10 mark put the Highlanders on top, 8-7. However, the Blue Hose outscored RU 23-8 the rest of the frame to erase its one-point deficit.
♦ Back-to-back jumpers by Tabb and Ashia Holmes cut it to 33-20 with 16:54 to go. From there, the Blue Hose used a 14-1 streak to cushion the lead to 47-21 at the midway point of the second stanza.
♦ Radford failed to mount a rally in the final 10 minutes of the game as Presbyterian remained in a tie for second place with Winthrop in the Big South standings entering Saturday.
♦ In addition to a 10-4 favor in second-chance points, Radford converted 10 steals into a 13-12 edge in points off turnovers.

LAST MEETING WITH GARDNER-WEBB

♦ For the fifth time in the series, Radford and Gardner-Webb battled into overtime before the Highlanders reigned victorious by outlasting the Runnin' Bulldogs, 72-69, Jan. 10 inside Paul Porter Arena.
♦ Since Dec. 12, 2004, extra time has been needed in five out of the 11 meetings between the two squads, including four out of the previous six encounters. GWU was unbeaten in overtime contests against Radford until the last meeting.
♦ Leading the way was Ashley Buckhannon, who finished the night with game highs of 20 points and five assists. Tying her career high of 16 points was Sarah Tabb, who knocked down 5-of-7 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. Ironically, the other 16-point outing Tabb had came against the Runnin' Bulldogs last season in Boiling Springs.
♦ Ayana Avery rounded out three double-figure scorers for the Highlanders with 13 points, including a critical 3-pointer late in regulation to keep RU's hopes of a comeback victory alive. Victoria Hamilton reeled in a game-high 11 boards to go along with nine points, while Jordynn Gaymon filled up the stat sheet with nine rebounds and eight points.
♦ Paced by four players in double figures, the Runnin' Bulldogs shot 44.3 percent from the hardwood. Preseason all-conference selection Catrina Green notched 11 points, all in the second stanza, to go along with six caroms to lead the hosts.
♦ Candace Brown (11), Lana Doran (10) and Jessica Heilig (10) also reached double digits in the scoring column for GWU.

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