Box Score
TUCSON, AZ--The nation's longest winning streak ended at 18 as Winthrop's bid to upset third-seeded Gonzaga came up a bit short as the Eagles fell 74-64 in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament at the McKale Center on Thursday night.
Gonzaga sophomore sensation Adam Morrison proved to be the deciding factor as he scored a game-high 27 points to overshadow a 22-point effort by Winthrop's Torrell Martin. Morrison's big 3-pointer with 3:25 left in the game was the back-breaker for the Eagles as it gave Gonzaga a 66-60 lead.
The loss ends Winthrop's season at 27-6, but the Eagles still finished the year with the best single season winning percentage in school history (.818) and the fewest losses in school history (six).
"First off, I would like to congratulate Gonzaga. They made the plays they needed to make to win the ball game. I don't think this was a 10-point game, and I think Coach (Mark) Few feels the same way," said Winthrop Head Coach Gregg Marshall.
"We came up a little short today. Our team gave a valiant effort, and I'm so proud to be their coach. "This is a phenomenal group of young men. They improved and have done things this year that were far past what the prognosticators thought they would do. The sophomore class really blossomed this year with Torrell (Martin), Phillip (Williams) and Craig (Bradshaw), and Otis (Daniels), Billy (Houston) and James (Shuler) developed a lot of leadership."
Winthrop shot out to a 35-33 halftime lead behind the first half scoring of Phillip Williams, who finished the game with 17 points, and Martin. Both scored nine in the first 20 minutes. Morrison kept Gonzaga close at halftime with 10 points and then scored 17 in the crucial second half on a variety of inside shots and a trio of 3-pointers.
"Adam Morrison is a tremendous player," said Marshall. "He's a great shooter and competitor."
Both teams put a trio of players in double figures. In addition to Martin's 22 and Williams' 17 points, James Shuler added 12. Joining Gonzaga's Morrison in double figures were J.P. Batista with 14 and Ronny Turiaf with 13. Eleven of Turiaf's points came from the free throw line.
Craig Bradshaw pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to lead the Eagles on the boards while Turiaf completed a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds.
Gonzaga will now face Texas Tech, a 78-66 winner over UCLA, in Saturday's second round.
