BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Winthrop women's basketball's 24-point second quarter wasn't enough to lift them over the Runnin' Bulldogs Sunday evening, dropping Game 1, 68-56.

WINTHROP (6-12, 5-10 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Maleeah Langstaff ( 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal)
Tori Hall (10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)
Antoaneta Alexe (9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists)

GARDNER-WEBB (6-11, 6-6 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Lauren Bevis (22 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block)
Jhessyka Williams (17 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals)
Cierra Bell (11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
FIRST QUARTER

• Maleeah Langstaff started off the scoring with a layup
• The Runnin' Bulldogs tied things up with two made free throws Jhessyka Williams
• Gardner-Webb jumped out to a 10-6 lead off a Lauren Bevis 3-pointer
• Maleeah Langstaff and Tori Hall sank back-to-back 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to bring Winthrop within two, 16-14
• Lauren Bevis sank two good free throws before time expired to give her squad the 18-14 lead after 10 minutes of play

 
SECOND QUARTER 

• Antoaneta Alexe opened the second quarter with back-to-back buckets for the Eagles, making it a 20-18 contest in favor of Gardner-Webb
• After a short scoring drought on both ends, Madison Ervin scored her first basket of the contest to tie it up at 20
• Gardner-Webb's Alasia Smith and Antoaneta Alexe exchanged 3-pointers to give keep it 23 apiece
• The Eagles ended the half on a 9-3 run, taking a 38-33 lead into the locker room at halftime.  
• Winthrop shot 67 percent in the second 10 minutes of play

 
THIRD QUARTER

• The Runnin' Bulldogs would strike first in the second half with a layup from Jhessyka Williams
• Gabrielle Caponegro cut Winthrop's lead to one with a layup, 38-37
• The Runnin' Bulldogs would take the lead off a Lauren Bevis layup, 39-38
• Winthrop was held scoreless until the 3:26 mark, when Myra Strickland sank a shot from deep for her first basket of the game, regaining the lead, 41-39
• Madison Ervin would follow that up with a shot from behind the arc of her own, 44-41
• A 6-0 run for the home team gave them a 47-44 lead with 1:15 remaining in the quarter
• J'Mani Ingram was fouled, making both free throws cutting Gardner-Webb's lead to one, 47-46.
• A 5-0 run for the home team in the last 42 seconds gave the Runnin' Bulldogs a 52-46 lead with 10 minutes to play.
   

FOURTH QUARTER

• Gardner-Webb kept its streak rolling into the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run, taking an 11-point lead, 57-46
• Antoaneta Alexe stopped their run with a jumper at the 6:07 mark, 60-48
• Tori Hall was the first Eagle to reach double-figures with a jumper in the fourth quarter to give her 10 on the evening and cut Gardner-Webb's lead to 10.
• Madison Ervin hit back-to-back free throws to cut Gardner-Webb's lead to single digits, 62-53
• Lauren Bevis put up a 5-0 run all on her own to make it a 67-53 contest with 2:27 to go
• J'Mani Ingram was fouled with 21 seconds remaining in the contest, making the jumper and free throw, making it a 68-56 final.

THE NUMBERS

• Winthrop won the battle of the boards, 33-30
• The Eagles shot just 29 percent in the second half
• Winthrop committed 30 turnovers, a season-high, resulting in 29 points for the Runnin' Bulldogs
• Gardner-Webb turned the ball over 14 points, resulting in just eight points for the Eagles
• Winthrop's bench put up 22 points led by Tori Hall with 10 points
• Antoaneta Alexe had a career-high nine points
• Winthrop finished the contest shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the line
• Gardner-Webb finished the contest shooting 41.9 percent from the field, 36 percent from deep and 53.8 percent from free throw line 

UP NEXT
The Eagles will look to even the series against the Runnin' Bulldogs on Monday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.