ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's basketball looks to keep pace in the Big South with the first half of the league slate approaching the halfway mark as it hosts Campbell on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum.
The game is part of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team as it hosts Presbyterian College at 1 p.m. Both games are part of the "Back The Pack" promotion in which fans can get free admission by donating a non-perishable food item to help feed hungry students in the Rock Hill School District.
The Big South standings currently have seven teams within one game of each other as the Eagles are one game out of first at 4-3 and have an overall record of 9-9. Campbell enters the game at 7-13 overall and 1-6 in the Big South. Winthrop has dropped its last two home games.
The Eagles will be looking for the program's 600
th victory all-time as they are currently 599-515. They also have a chance to win consecutive league games for the first time this season.
On Thursday night the Eagles captured their second straight win on the road in league play and the second straight by double-figures. Winthrop held Liberty to just 15 first half points and 23 percent for a 14-point advantage at the break.
The Eagles have built double-figure leads in the last four games and are 2-2 in those games. The first 20 minutes of the last four games have been impressive by the Eagles shooting 50 percent from the floor and averaging 35.5 points while allowing 24.0. In the last four games Winthrop's opponents have shot just 30 percent from the floor.
Though Winthrop is known for its ability to shoot the three at a high level, it was defense that fueled the offense Thursday night. Winthrop hit just six threes but forced 20 turnovers and converted them into 19 points. Winthrop managed 30 points in the paint and was 21-for-28 at the foul line. The team finished with 16 second chance points on 10 offensive rebounds (three coming within one single possession). One of the biggest offensive boards of the night came from
Duby Okeke as he dunked the ball immediately to put the Eagles back in front by 10 with 4:18 left after the Flames had pulled within six points moments earlier.
Senior
Keon Moore led all scorers with 22 points as he hit the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season and 15
th time in his career as an Eagle. He's fifth in the Big South in scoring at 17.8 ppg and is one of two players ranked in the Top 5 of scoring, free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage, three-point field goals per game and steals.
Sophomore
Keon Johnson was the only Eagle in double-figures at Liberty as he scored 16 points. He was just 3-for-11 from the floor but finished the game 8-for-10 at the foul line and has averaged 18.5 points per game in the last four games.
While the Eagles feature the league's third best offense at 74.3 points per game, Campbell is third in the league in defensive scoring allowing just 65.2 ppg. The Camels are second in league games only at 67.4 ppg.
Campbell is coming off a 72-70 loss at Presbyterian College Thursday night and has lost six straight after opening league play with a win over Liberty. Three of the losses have come by a single-possession and five total have been seven points or less.
Junior center D.J. Mason leads Campbell in scoring at 12.6 ppg and is also average 6.0 rebounds while shooting an impressive 52 percent from the floor. He's averaging a team-best 10.9 ppg in seven league games and shooting 54 percent. Senior forward Reco McCarter is second on the team in scoring at 10.4 ppg and is second on the team with 22 steals. He's shooting 46 percent from the floor. He is averaging those exact numbers in league play as well. In last year's meeting, McCarter was one of four Camels in double-figures as he posted 12 points and seven rebounds against the Eagles.
Andrew Ryan, who didn't score in 22 minutes of action in last year's meeting, has started all 20 games this season and is third on the team at 9.8 ppg and is the team's top shooter behind the arc. The senior guard/forward has made 44 threes on the year and shoots 40 percent
Campbell is 1-9 on the year this season and 0-3 in the league while it's averaged 61.4 ppg so far. In league play that average has increased to 67.7 per game.
This will be the 31
st meeting between Winthrop and Campbell as the Eagles have won two of the last three meetings. The overall series belongs to Campbell with an 18-12 advantage.
