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ROCK HILL, SC— Diana Choibekova knocked down a single game record 10 three-pointers to help Winthrop set a school record 17 threes en route to a 86-48 victory over Gardner-Webb, Monday evening in Big South Conference women's basketball action.

Choibekova, who entered the game as the nation's leader in threes per game at 3.8, scored a game-high 32 points as she broke her own single game record of nine threes. She hit nine threes against Niagara at home on Nov. 19, 2011. Her 10 threes also ties the Big South Conference record for threes in a game, set by Nikki Reddick of Coastal Carolina on Feb. 15, 2003 against Winthrop at the Winthrop Coliseum.

The 17 triples by the team broke a record that nearly stood for 10 years. The previous record was set on Jan. 19, 2002 against Liberty at home. The third record that was set by Winthrop was the margin of victory in a regular season Big South game. The previous record was set on Jan. 26, 2006 at home against Charleston Southern (+29) and Presbyterian (+29) on Feb. 7, 2009.

Winthrop improved to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in the Big South as its record is above .500 for the first time since Nov. 19 when the team was 2-1 after the win over Niagara. Gardner-Webb falls to 2-14 overall and 1-5 in the league.

Holding a 20-point halftime lead, Winthrop didn't let up coming out of the break as it pushed the lead to 30 points at the 15:25 mark after a couple of threes from Samiya Wright sparked a 14-4 run. Wright finished with a career-high six threes as she tied her career-best in points with 18.

The lead hovered around 30-32 for the next seven and a half minutes until Choibekova hit a three for a 71-36 lead and the lead pushed to 38 points after Katie Fitzgerald made two free throws with 6:18 remaining. The biggest lead was 43 points with 1:49 to play after a Wright three, but the Runnin' Bulldogs scored five straight points to end the game.

The start of the game saw both teams come up empty on their first two possessions before Gardner Webb's Brianna Dillard knocked down a jumper at the 18:20 mark. At that point, Winthrop went on a 15-0 run for a 13-point advantage with 15:22 to go in the half. The run started with a Choibekova three-pointer and she capped off the run with a three as well.

The lead shrunk to eight points with 13:03 left after Catrina Green's jumper in the lane made it 17-9. Choibekova came right back with three-pointers on back-to-back possessions and Winthrop led 23-9. Wright made it three consecutive threes for the Lady Eagles as she drilled one to the right of the basket for a 26-9 lead.

Green made baskets on consecutive possessions for the Runnin' Bulldogs to cut the lead to 13 points, but Wright was left open behind the arc and hit the Lady Eagles seventh three-pointer of the game to that point.

Jasmine Dale answered with a triple of her own to cut the lead to 13 again and Eliana Scanlon's three from the pulled Gardner-Webb within 10 points at the 7:26 mark. Neither team scored over the next two and a half minutes until McClanahan dropped in a couple of free throws followed by Choibekova's fifth three of the half.

Winthrop used a 10-0 run to push the lead to 20 points with 1:41 remaining in the half after Choibekova's sixth triple of the half and eventually led 41-21 at the break. Choibekova had 20 points at the break, her second straight game reaching the 20-point mark.

The Lady Eagles relied on threes in the first half as they went 9-for-20 and finished the half 14-for-36 from the field (39 percent). Gardner-Webb was held to 29 percent shooting, but did connect on three-of-eight behind the arc.

Dequesha McClanahan finished with solid numbers as she scored 17 points, dished eight assists and had five rebounds. Taylor Calvert chipped in with eight points and 10 rebounds to go along with a career-high five steals.

Winthrop finished the game an impressive 17-for-30 from behind the arc and finished the game shooting 44 percent from the floor.

Green led the Runnin' Bulldogs with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. She also had two blocks. Kiki Smith just missed double-figures with nine points and dished out three assists.

It was the first time since 2002 that a Winthrop team scored 80 or more points in back-to-back games. The 2002 squad posted 84 points in a win at home over Coastal Carolina followed by an 82-62 win at home over UNC Asheville.

The victory also marked the first win for Winthrop against Gardner-Webb since 2002 and the first since it joined the Big South. Winthrop is now 1-6 all-time versus the Runnin' Bulldogs in conference regular season games and 4-8 all-time.

Winthrop hits the road now for two games beginning on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. against Radford University. Gardner-Webb will remain on the road as it heads to Asheville on Saturday, Jan. 21 to take on UNC Asheville at 2 p.m.