Box Score Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC--Winthrop used a strong second half start to defeat Radford 74-58 and snap a two-game losing streak on Thursday night in Big South Conference action.
Charles Corbin earned his second straight double-double and third of the year as he finished with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to help Winthrop improve to 4-4 in Big South play and 8-10 overall. Radford dropped its third straight game and now stands at 1-7 in league play and 4-14 overall.
Winthrop had a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures.
Matt Morgan had 13 to lead the Eagles while
Robbie Dreher scored 12.
George Valentine added 11 to go along with Corbin's 10.
Radford got a career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds from 7-1, 285-lb. Martins Abele. Gorkem Sonmez, normally a starter, did not play in the first half, but came off the bench to score 10 second half points, including 3 of 4 from beyond the 3-point arc.
After leading by just one point at halftime, 32-31 thanks to a closing second basket by freshman
Joab Jerome, Winthrop came out in the second half to outscore the Highlanders 12-0 in the opening four minutes and 14 seconds to take a 44-31 lead when Corbin connected on a jumper. The Eagles opened the final period with full court pressure and a zone to force Radford into five missed shots and three turnovers in its first eight possessions.
Radford responded by outscoring Winthrop 12-5 over the next six minutes to close to within six points at 49-43, but that was as close as the Highlanders could get.
Matt Morgan gave Winthrop a double-digit lead for good when he knocked down a jump shot to give the Eagles a 56-45 lead with 7:01 left in the game. Winthrop stretched the lead to as many as 18 with under a minute left when
Robbie Dreher drove the lane to score giving the Eagles a 73-55 lead.
Winthrop had one of its best shooting performances of the season as it connected on 48 percent (28-58) from the floor. The Eagle defense held Radford to 36 percent (20-55). The Eagles also won the battle of the boards 44-32.
Winthrop returns to action on Saturday when it hosts High Point at 7 p.m. Radford will remain on the road as it faces Presbyterian College on Saturday night in Clinton, SC.
