Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC- The Winthrop women's basketball team couldn't overcome a hot shooting Presbyterian College squad in the second half as it fell 55-40, Monday evening in Big South Conference action at the Winthrop Coliseum.
Winthrop evens its record up to 8-8 overall on the year and 2-2 in the Big South. Presbyterian College is now 5-11 overall and 2-2 in the league. The five wins ties a school record for NCAA Division I wins for the Blue Hose.
The Blue hose used an 18-4 second half run to open up a 13 point lead, which was the difference in the game. Winthrop was 1-for-5 from the field during the run and committed three turnovers. The Blue Hose knocked down four treys during the run to open up the double-figure lead. The barrage of threes started with Amanda Mills, who hit one for a 26-24 lead. Dria David followed with her first three of the season while the Blue Hose also got two triples from Karlee Taylor.
Presbyterian College entered the game shooting 30 percent from behind the arc on the season, but in four league games have now connected on 23-for-56 (41 percent) as it was 9-for-18 against the Lady Eagles on Monday. That percentage ranks first in the Big South in conference games only.
After struggling from the floor in the first half, Presbyterian College shot 55 percent, including 6-for-7 from behind on the arc.
While Presbyterian College seemed to be knocking down every shot it took in the second half, Winthrop remained cold from the floor and shot 27 percent in the second half for a total of 28 percent for the game. The Lady Eagles were just 2-for-17 from behind the arc.
After trailing at the half, Winthrop fought its way back to a 24-23 lead in the first three minutes and seven seconds as an Ashley Cox lay-in put Winthrop in front for the first time since the 6:25 mark of the first half. Then Winthrop went cold while Presbyterian College got hot from three.
Neither team had it going offensively in the first half as the teams were a combined 17-for-56 (30 percent), but a late three by Taylor from the wing put the Blue Hose up at the break, 21-18. Winthrop was 8-for-28 for 29 percent and Presbyterian College was 9-for-28 for 32 percent.
Winthrop held a five point lead at the 9:49 mark of the first half after Tiffany Charles lay-up, but managed just four more points the rest of the half on 2-for-10 shooting and six of its eight first half turnovers.
It's the second consecutive game in which the Blue Hose have held Winthrop's offense in the low 40?s as they won the last meeting in Clinton, SC last season, 48-43.
Taylor led Presbyterian College with a game-high 14 points as she was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Chelsea Parker chipped in with seven points and a career-high 10 rebounds while Mariah Pietrowski and Mills each had eight.
Winthrop was led by Ashley Cox's 13 points as she also had 10 rebounds and two blocks. Charles scored 11 points off the bench and also had five rebounds.
Presbyterian College stays on the road for its next contest as it travels to Radford, VA for a 3 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Jan. 22. Winthrop will hit the road for its first conference game away from the Winthrop Coliseum as it heads to Asheville, NC to take on UNC Asheville at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22.
