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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. --- Campbell cut a 16-point fourth period deficit to four with just under five minutes to play, but Gardner-Webb pulled away late and claimed a 68-56 victory on Monday night at Paul Porter Arena. Amanda Coffer registered her 16th double-figure scoring effort of the season with a game-high 18 points to lead the Lady Camels (8-13, 3-9 BSC).
Jessica Pone scored nine points and dished out a career-high five assists. Sarah Smith and Summer Price finished with eight and seven points respectively off the bench while Coffer pulled down a team-high four rebounds. RaeChaun Edwards, who battled through a first-half wrist injury, tallied seven assists.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (14-8, 8-4) finished the third period on an 18-6 run and took a 53-37 lead to the fourth. The Lady Camels answered with a 10-0 run to open the final frame and cut the GWU advantage to 53-47 with 7:04 to play.
Gardner-Webb was finally on the board in the fourth with a Tierra Huntsman trey three-minutes in, and held a nine-point advantage with 4:24 left to play. A quick five points from Coffer cut the Bulldog lead to 58-54 with 3:31 on the clock.
However, GWU sealed the game with a 9-0 run and held CU scoreless for nearly three minutes. Pone hit a pair of free throws with 43 seconds on the clock to break up the run but the Bulldogs claimed the 12-point victory.
Candace Brown led three Gardner-Webb players in double-figures with 17 points followed closely by Candace Brown with 16. Alexus Hill added 11 points while Alicia Quinn pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
After an early 5-0 start, the Lady Camels were held scoreless for nearly four minutes while GWU reeled off an 11-0 run to earn a 11-5 advantage with 5:12 to play in the first. CU responded with a 6-0 spurt and tied the game at 11-11 on a Coffer three.
After the Bulldogs build a 16-11 lead, a Smith jumper with 20 seconds on the clock cut the deficit to 16-13 the first period break. The Lady Camels shot 56 percent from the field in the opening frame.
Campbell re-took the lead at 18-16 early in the second period on a Price three. The lead changed hands three times in the second and the game stood tied at 28-28 with 1:28 to play before the end of the half.
Evelyn Adebayo converted an old-fashioned three-point play with a second on the clock to send the Bulldogs to the half with a 31-28 advantage. The Lady Camels continued to shoot well and shot an even 50 percent in the first half (12-for-24).
An early second-half scoring drought for the Lady Camels helped the Bulldogs jump out to a 34-28 lead. With CU facing a four-point deficit, Coffer was whistled with her fourth foul and forced to sit with six minutes to play in the third. Holding a narrow three-point lead with five minutes to go in the period, the Bulldogs went on the long run to set up the final stanza.
The Lady Camels will have a rare off week coming up. CU will return to the court on Tuesday, February 9th at Liberty. The Flames knocked off the Lady Camels 62-52 back in December.