ROCK HILL, SC—After an 11-day break and taking exams, the Winthrop men's basketball team gets back to action on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. when it welcomes Appalachian State to the Winthrop Coliseum.
The Eagles are coming off a road loss at Virginia Tech, but have a 5-2 record while they face a Mountaineer squad that is 2-6 and coming off a home loss to Charlotte on Dec. 8.
Winthrop is undefeated at home this season at 4-0 and will put that record on the line against Appalachian State looking for its first road win of the season (0-4). The Mountaineers have won the last two meetings with the Eagles and lead the all-time series 5-1. Winthrop's lone victory came in 2009 at home in a 65-63 win in a ESPN Brackebuster matchup.
During the first five games of the season the Eagles scored over 70 points in each game but have failed to reach that mark the last two games in the win over James Madison and the loss at Virginia Tech. The team is still averaging 78.6 points per game and is led by a trio of players scoring double-figures.
Freshman
Keon Johnson and junior
Andre Smith average a team-high 13.4 points per game and have combined for 36 of the teams 57 three-point baskets on the year. Johnson is shooting 46 percent on the year while Smith is knocking down 44 percent. Johnson is averaging 14.3 points at home and shooting 50 percent from the floor and 55 percent from three.
Smith ranked among the top 30 three-pointer shooters nationally before going 1-for-10 at Virginia Tech and is looking to get back on track against the Mountaineers. In four home games, Smith is shooting 54 percent from three and 47 percent from the field while averaging 15 points.
The third Eagle in double-figures is senior
Joab Jerome at 12.3 ppg and is third on the team with 15 assists. He is shooting 50 percent from the floor on the season and 58 percent from three (11-for-19).
Appalachian State enters the game averaging 67.9 points per game and allowing 75.6 as well as having lost three of its last four games. In the four road games this season, Appalachian State is averaging just 62.2 points and shooting just 37 percent from the floor.
Senior Tevin Baskin leads the team offensively at 14.4 points per game while junior Mike Neal is second with 12.9 ppg. Baskin is shooting 43 percent from the floor and is coming off a six points and six rebounds in the loss to Charlotte. Neal had a team-high 17 points against the 49ers and also dished out five assists.
Should the Eagles capture a win over the Mountaineers, it would put them at 5-0 at home for the first time since 2006-07.
