# 2023–24 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs women's basketball team

The 2023–24 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs women's basketball team represented Gardner–Webb University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Runnin' Bulldogs, were led by first-year head coach Scott Merritt, played their home games at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, North Carolina as members of the Big South Conference.

## Previous season

The Runnin' Bulldogs finished the 2022–23 season 29–5, 18–0 in Big South play, to finish as Big South regular season champions. In the Big South tournament, they defeated UNC Asheville, Radford, and High Point to win the Big South tournament championship and earning the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. They received the #15 seed in the Greenville Regional 2. They would end up losing to #2 region seed Utah in the first round.
On April 6, head coach Alex Simmons announced that she would be stepping down, after 5 seasons at the helm, in order to take the head coaching position at Memphis. On April 22, the school named Wisconsin associate head coach Scott Merritt the team's next head coach.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 8, 2023* 7:00 pm, ACCNX | | at No. 16 North Carolina | L 49–102 | 0–1 | 16 – Funderburk | 5 – 2 Tied | 2 – 2 Tied | Carmichael Arena (2,212) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 11, 2023* 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Elon | L 69–90 | 0–2 | 16 – 2 Tied | 6 – Funderburk | 5 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (245) Boiling Springs, NC |
| November 15, 2023* 11:00 am, ESPN+ | | Richmond | L 53–80 | 0–3 | 12 – Hawkins | 11 – Keita | 4 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (2,167) Boiling Springs, NC |
| November 17, 2023* 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | | at Charlotte | L 43–93 | 0–4 | 11 – Pack | 5 – 3 Tied | 4 – Hawkins | Dale F. Halton Arena (635) Charlotte, NC |
| November 20, 2023* 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Charleston | L 78–90 | 0–5 | 18 – Walker | 7 – Bailey | 11 – Hawkins | TD Arena (285) Charleston, SC |
| November 26, 2023* 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at UNC Greensboro | L 47–64 | 0–6 | 10 – Funderburk | 9 – Keita | 2 – 2 Tied | Fleming Gymnasium (186) Greensboro, NC |
| November 29, 2023* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Furman | L 66–73 | 0–7 | 23 – Hawkins | 13 – Keita | 5 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (150) Boiling Springs, NC |
| December 7, 2023* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Florida Gulf Coast | L 53–102 | 0–8 | 20 – Hawkins | 8 – Keita | 3 – Hawkins | Alico Arena (1,251) Fort Myers, FL |
| December 10, 2023* 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at South Florida | L 75–105 | 0–9 | 18 – Bailey | 6 – Keita | 8 – Hawkins | Yuengling Center (2,346) Tampa, FL |
| December 15, 2023* 8:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Appalachian State | W 82–78 | 1–9 | 28 – Hawkins | 11 – Martinez | 6 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (117) Boiling Springs, NC |
| December 17, 2023* 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Florida | L 37–115 | 1–10 | 11 – Funderburk | 8 – Pack | 3 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (270) Boiling Springs, NC |
| December 20, 2023* 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at East Tennessee State | L 48–60 | 1–11 | 15 – Hawkins | 8 – Keita | 3 – Hawkins | Brooks Gymnasium Johnson City, TN |
| December 30, 2023* 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Queens | L 48–66 | 1–12 | 10 – Pack | 12 – Keita | 7 – Hawkins | Curry Arena Charlotte, NC |
| Big South regular season |||||||||
| January 6, 2024 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | High Point | L 64–74 | 1–13 (0–1) | 20 – Hawkins | 12 – Keita | 7 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (215) Boiling Springs, NC |
| January 10, 2024 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Charleston Southern | L 61–83 | 1–14 (0–2) | 18 – Harris | 9 – Keita | 4 – Hawkins | Buccaneer Field House (347) North Charleston, SC |
| January 13, 2024 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Presbyterian | W 72–58 | 2–14 (1–2) | 19 – Hawkins | 7 – Keita | 8 – Hawkins | Templeton Physical Education Center (303) Clinton, SC |
| January 17, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Radford | L 71–80 | 2–15 (1–3) | 20 – Hawkins | 17 – Martinez | 7 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (115) Boiling Springs, NC |
| January 20, 2024 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Winthrop | L 50–61 | 2–16 (1–4) | 13 – Hawkins | 5 – 3 Tied | 5 – Hawkins | Winthrop Coliseum (218) Rock Hill, SC |
| January 24, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Longwood | W 74–59 | 3–16 (2–4) | 15 – 2 Tied | 13 – Keita | 10 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (208) Boiling Springs, NC |
| January 27, 2024 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | USC Upstate | L 59–78 | 3–17 (2–5) | 14 – Hawkins | 16 – Keita | 7 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (509) Boiling Springs, NC |
| January 31, 2024 6:30 pm, ESPN+ | | at UNC Asheville | L 58–72 | 3–18 (2–6) | 18 – Pack | 7 – 2 Tied | 6 – Hawkins | Kimmel Arena (341) Asheville, NC |
| February 7, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Presbyterian | W 86–57 | 4–18 (3–6) | 21 – Funderburk | 7 – Harris | 9 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (157) Boiling Springs, NC |
| February 10, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at High Point | L 72–75 | 4–19 (3–7) | 22 – Hawkins | 7 – 2 Tied | 3 – Hawkins | Qubein Center (1,004) High Point, NC |
| February 14, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Charleston Southern | L 69–76 | 4–20 (3–8) | 17 – Pack | 11 – Pack | 5 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (152) Boiling Springs, NC |
| February 17, 2024 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at USC Upstate | L 56–73 | 4–21 (3–9) | 11 – Hawkins | 9 – Pack | 7 – Hawkins | G. B. Hodge Center Spartanburg, SC |
| February 21, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Radford | W 63–58 | 5–21 (4–9) | 23 – Hawkins | 12 – Bailey | 5 – Hawkins | Dedmon Center (744) Radford, VA |
| February 24, 2024 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | UNC Asheville | W 80–65 | 6–21 (5–9) | 20 – Harris | 6 – Keita | 9 – Hawkins | Paul Porter Arena (255) Boiling Springs, NC |
| February 28, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Longwood | L 57–67 | 6–22 (5–10) | 22 – Hawkins | 8 – Hawkins | 7 – Hawkins | Joan Perry Brock Center (873) Farmville, VA |
| March 2, 2024 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Winthrop | L 54–72 | 6–23 (5–11) | 10 – Harris | 5 – 2 Tied | 4 – Harris | Paul Porter Arena (369) Boiling Springs, NC |
| Big South tournament |||||||||
| March 6, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (8) | vs. (9) UNC Asheville Opening round | L 74–75 | 6–24 | 33 – Hawkins | 9 – Hawkins | 4 – Hawkins | Qubein Center High Point, NC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
Sources: