ROCK HILL, SC--The Winthrop men's basketball team will jump back into a rugged four-game road stretch following final exams beginning Thursday night at Jacksonville.  Before the Eagles return to the friendly confines of Winthrop Coliseum on New Year's Eve, they will also face Clemson on Saturday, before flying to Kalamazoo for a Dec. 20 meeting with Western Michigan and then facing Georgia on Dec. 27.  All four opponents are coming off 20-win seasons last year.

Winthrop will take its 3-6 record against the Jacksonville Dolphins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.  The Eagles and Dolphins are meeting for just the second time following last year's Winthrop 73-66 home victory.  Jacksonville (2-6) returns eight players who saw action in that game and went on to help the Dolphins finish 20-12 overall and 13-7 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. 

The Clemson game will be televised live on Fox Sports South at 4:30 p.m. Winthrop will be trying to win its second game over the Tigers in the 10th meeting between the two schools.  Clemson leads the all-time series 8-1. Winthrop claimed a 66-61 win during the 2001-02 season.  Winthrop will face the Western Michigan Broncos for the second time and will be looking to even the series after dropping a 76-71 decision in the 2003 Arizona State tournament.  The Eagles will be seeking a second win over Georgia when they meet the Bulldogs for a fifth time.  Georgia has won three of the previous four games.  The 2003-04 Winthrop team won 80-60 in Athens.