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Atkins Boxes Out
Tim Cowie/Winthropphotos.com
Walk-on Freshman Kayla Atkins Gave Eagles A Boost At Gardner-Webb
52
Winthrop WUW 3-19, 2-11 BSC
70
Winner Gardner-Webb GWU 15-8, 9-4 BSC
Winthrop WUW
3-19, 2-11 BSC
52
Final
70
Gardner-Webb GWU
15-8, 9-4 BSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Winthrop WUW 16 13 16 7 52
Gardner-Webb GWU 21 14 12 23 70

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Winthrop Runs Out of Gas In Fourth Quarter; Falls To Gardner-Webb 70-52

Eagles Had Tied Game In Opening Seconds Of Fourth Quarter at 47-47

BOILING SPRING, NC—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. 
 
"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."
 
Arianne Whitaker's follow shot with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter gave the Eagles a brief 9-8 lead before Gardner-Webb outscored Winthrop 13-3 over a two-minute and 44- second stretch to take a 21-12 advantage.  The Eagles were forced to play catch-up for the remainder of the half, but did claw back to within six points at intermission following a short jumper by Kilpatrick and a turnaround 10-foot jumper by Whitaker made it 35-29.
 
Winthrop had trouble finding the basket in the first six minutes of the third quarter by making just two of 15 shots, but Gardner-Webb was unable to pull away and led by just three at 40-37 after Naima Jackson converted two free throws with 3:07 remaining in the quarter.  The Eagles then closed the period by connecting on its final four field goals, including the game-tying layup by Atkins that knotted the game at 45-45 with 23 seconds left.  Candace Brown's two free throws with three seconds remaining put the Bulldogs up by two at the end of the third 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 Feb. 13 at 1 p.m.
 
 
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