CHARLESTON, SC -
Buoyed by the hot shooting of Mathiang Muo and a sterling second half defensive effort, the Charleston Southern men's basketball team used a 28-11 game-ending run to defeat Gardner-Webb, 73-58, at Buccaneer Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.
The victory assured CSU (16-10, 10-6) of a first round bye in the Big South Conference Tournament and clinched no worse than a fourth place finish with two league games still remaining. Furthermore, the Bucs ensured themselves of a winning season and captured their tenth Big South win for the first time since the 1994-1995 season.
Three days after matching a program record with eight three-pointers, Muo swished home five more en route to a game-high 21 points which paced four players in double figures. Paul Gombwer continued his stellar play in the post, recording his second double-double of the year with a career-high 14 markers, and 10 rebounds. Kelvin Martin posted 15 points despite missing the bulk of the first half with foul trouble, and Jeremy Sexton provided a much-needed boost of the bench with 10 points and two assists.
Gardner-Webb (11-17, 6-10) did not have a single player reach double-digits, as Tashan Newsome and Laron Buggs led the way with 9 points apiece.
Newsome drilled a top of the circle trey to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 47-45 advantage with 13:32 remaining, but the Bucs immediately responded. Muo began the charge back by knocking down a tough step-back three with a defender in his face to give CSU the lead for good. Following a defensive stop, Sexton rolled in a foul-line pull-up and the Bucs were off and running as the Runnin' Bulldogs never drew closer than three the rest of the way.
CSU permitted only four Gardner-Webb field goals over their 28-11 run to end the game, and engineered a 9-0 spurt to slam the door shut after Stefon Johnson's layup made the score 54-51 at the 8:05 mark. Four different players tallied baskets during the stretch as Muo applied the exclamation point with a pretty runner in the lane for a 63-51 cushion.
Two David Brown triples brought Gardner-Webb back within six, but Muo provided yet another answer with a three from the right-wing. Muo connected on another from the left side several minutes later, establishing a 73-57 advantage that was the largest of the night.
CSU raced out of the gates to a 6-0 start behind a pair of drives from Martin and an Arlon Harper layup in transition. Martin sliced through the lane for a three-point play on the Bucs next trip down the floor, and Muo's first three of the night established a 12-5 lead only three minutes in. Martin was called for a second foul at the 14:24 mark, though, and Gardner-Webb assumed control with CSU's senior leader on the bench for the remainder of the stanza.
The Runnin' Bulldogs twice moved in front by three points, but entered halftime trailing 34-31 as Chris Grier and Sexton stepped up with nine combined points off the bench.
Gombwer's third straight double-digit rebounding effort was crucial toward a 33-26 advantage on the glass. CSU had been out-rebounded, 41-26, in an 80-77 loss to Gardner-Webb on January 10. The Runnin' Bulldogs shot 53 percent in that one, but were stymied by the Bucs in the second half of the rematch as they converted only 37 percent of their attempts and turned it over ten times against some intense pressure.
CSU steps out of conference play Saturday when it entertains Wofford in an ESPN BracketBuster contest. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., but fans are encouraged to arrive to the Buc Dome early as the program will honor senior Kelvin Martin prior to his final regular season home game. Martin is CSU's all-time leading rebounder, and ranks fourth in Big South history with 914 career caroms.
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