Sunday, February 24, 2008

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (Feb. 24, 2008) - Following its 17-point win at Campbell and Kennesaw State's upset at Jacksonville on Saturday, the ETSU women's basketball now control its own destiny for an Atlantic Sun regular season championship. A win Monday night at Gardner-Webb would at least guarantee the Lady Bucs a share of the crown for the time being (should ETSU win its last two games they will win the title outright). Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside Paul Porter Arena.

The task will not be an easy one tomorrow night as Gardner-Webb has been a pain in the Lady Buccaneer side since joining the A-Sun. The Runnin' Bulldogs swept ETSU back in 2005-06, but the Lady Bucs returned the favor by sweeping G-Webb a year ago. However, it was the same club that went into Memorial Center back on Jan. 12, and handed ETSU its only home conference loss this season, 82-71. The Lady Buccaneers have not forgotten what happened that afternoon and a win on Monday night would take away some of the sting.

If the Lady Buccaneer fans are unable to make the trip to North Carolina, they are asked to stay tuned to www.ETSUBucs.com for a full recap of the game as Gardner-Webb does not provide live video, audio or stats.

Below are more Lady Buccaneer notes on Monday's game:

About Gardner-Webb

Monday night will mark the final time ETSU and G-Webb face off against each other as A-Sun foes. The Runnin' Bulldogs are moving to the Big South next season.

Gardner-Webb was picked to finish fifth by the league coaches, and they are currently sitting in that exact spot in the conference. However, there are two teams sitting ahead of them that are not eligible for postseason play (KSU and FGCU), so they are holding onto the number three seed for the A-Sun tournament. The Runnin' Bulldogs have won three straight, four of their last five and stand 12-14, 8-5 in A-Sun play.

G-Webb is led by Margaret Roundtree's 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, along with Monique Hudson (11.5pts) and Laura Povilonyte (11.1pts/5.9reb). As a team, the Runnin' Bulldogs are hitting 41.1 percent of their shots and averaging 66.6 points per game. GWU is allowing the opposition to hit 41-percent of its shots and score 65.5 points.

The Series

Gardner-Webb has been a pain in ETSU's side since the Lady Bucs joined the Atlantic Sun. The Runnin' Bulldogs swept ETSU in 2005-06, but the Lady Buccaneers returned the favor a year ago. However, it was GWU who handed ETSU its only home loss in conference play this season, 82-71, back on Jan. 12, 2008. Three Runnin' Bulldog players scored in double figures as Monique Hudson led the way with 20, and G-Webb hit 11 more free throws (24 to 13). The Lady Bucs will look to even the series at three with a win inside Paul Porter Arena.

More About Saturday's Win at Campbell...

The Lady Bucs took sole possession of first play in the A-Sun standings with their 17-point win over Campbell, 78-61 ... with Kennesaw State upsetting JU, 75-71, ETSU now holds a game and a half lead over both JU and FGCU ... freshman point guard Kami Phillips (Augusta, Ga.) set a new career high with her 11 assists ... ETSU outscored Campbell, 42-29, in the second half and scored 30 points off the 24 forced turnovers.

Dishin' Them Out Like Candy!!!

Freshman point guard Kami Phillips has been getting things done over her last three games. The Augusta, Ga. native has tallied 25 assists and only three turnovers. Phillips set a new career mark by dishing out 11 assists Saturday at Campbell, and became the first Lady Buccaneer player to past the 10+ plateau since Brooke Wilhoit passed out 14 vs. Kennesaw State last season

What's At Stake?

A win tonight will give ETSU a share of the conference crown, marking the first time the Lady Bucs were conference champs since head coach Karen Kemp took over the reigns in 1994-95.

A Look Ahead

The Lady Bucs will go for the season sweep when they face USC Upstate Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Spartanburg. ETSU defeated the Spartans, 96-55, in the conference opener on Jan. 5.

For more information on Lady Buccaneer basketball, visit, www.ETSUBucs.com.