ROCK HILL, SC—Fresh off a road victory the Winthrop men's basketball team returns home as welcomes Alabama State to the Winthrop Coliseum Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference contest.

GAME SNAPSHOT 
Winthrop (7-3) vs. Alabama State (4-6)
Game Time: 12 p.m. EST / Site: Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum)
Live Video: Big South Network (Mike Pacheco/Bobby Stevens) Television: none / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge (pregame 11:30 a.m. with Dave Friedman)
Live Stats / Live Video / Live Audio

SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the first ever meet between Winthrop and Alabama State. It will be just the second opponent the Eagles have ever faced from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

HOME SWEET HOME
After playing six of the last seven games on the road, the Eagles return to the confines of the Winthrop Coliseum for three straight. Winthrop is 4-0 at home this season and has won 10 straight home games dating back to last season. In that streak the Eagles have defeated six straight non-conference opponents. The six straight wins over non-conference foes are most since winning 10 in a row over the span of the 2005-06 season to 2007-08. During Kelsey's tenure the Eagles are 38-10 (79%) at home.

ROAD BLOCK
It was announced before the Alabama game that redshirt-sophomore Duby Okeke would be sidelined 3-5 weeks with a wrist injury. The 6-8 center has been a huge defensive presence for the Eagles this season averaging 3.5 blocks off the bench. His 3.5 bpg ranks fourth in the nation and he was on pace to shatter the single-season block record at Winthrop. Prior to his injury, Okeke accounted for 28 of the team's 46 blocks on the season (61%).

THE MATCHUP
Winthrop ended a two-game skid with a road win at Georgia Southern on Dec. 19. The Eagles just ended a stretch of six out of seven games on the road, which covered over 2,600 miles by bus. The 88 posted in the win at Georgia Southern were the most in a regulation road game since Feb. 3, 2007 in an 88-69 win at UNC Asheville. The Eagles are averaging 81.5 ppg, which is tops in the Big South. As of Dec. 20 no other Big South school is averaging 80 or more points. So far the Eagles have five games with 80 or more points through the first 10 games. The record for total games scoring 80 or more points in a single-season is 20 set by the 1992-93 team (30 games). While the Eagles are coming off their big road swing, the Hornets have only played one home game all season and are playing their fourth straight game on the road. Winthrop is averaging 8.4 three-point field goals per game while Alabama State is averaging 6.5. Winthrop is averaging 23.9 three-point attempts per game while shooting 35 percent and Alabama State is averaging 22.6 per game at 29 percent.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Keon Johnson is as hot as any player in the country offensively. The junior guard is coming off his second 30-point game of the season and third straight scoring 21 or more points. Over the last five games he's averaging 24.2 points while shooting 60 percent from the field, 52 percent from three and 90 percent at the foul line. He's also averaging 4.8 rebounds (averaged 2.2 per game in first two seasons combined). Alabama State is led in scoring by Jamel Waters at 14.1 per game. He's also averaging 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He's coming off 11 points and seven assists in the last second loss at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 19. Steve Rogers led the Hornets against Coastal with 14 points as he's averaging 8.0 ppg on the year.  

THE COACHES
Pat Kelsey is in his fourth season at the helm of the Winthrop men's basketball program. He holds a record of 60-45 in four seasons with appearances in the Big South championship game the past two seasons. The Eagles are 30-22 in Big South games under Kelsey. During his tenure the team has a couple of the program's notable victories with wins at Clemson and Auburn. It is the first head coaching job for Kelsey and he's the sixth head coach in the program's history. Alabama State's Lewis Jackson is in his 11^th year with the program. Jackson was a standout at Alabama State where he scored over 2,200 career points.

MILESTONES
Johnson is closing in on 1,000 career points (958) and his six threes at Georgia Southern jumped him from 11^th to 9^th in the program's all-time Top 10 three-pointers made. Johnson is also among the top free throw shooters in the history of the program as he's currently shooting .850 in his career, which ranks third all-time. He is 13 made free throws away from cracking the all-time Top 10. Duby Okeke was on a record pace for blocked shots in a single-season before suffering a wrist injury at Georgia. Okeke had three blocks at Georgia and has multiple-blocks in all eight games played. He's recorded 20 blocks in his last five games. In eight games he's blocked 28 shots (3.5 bpg) and the program record for blocks in a season is 66 by Josh Grant in 2002-03. Okeke has 74 career blocks and Xavier Cooks has 57. They are both on pace to crack the program's career Top 10 list as Eddie Gay and Heson Groves sit at 10^th with 76. Billy Houston is the all-time leader in career blocks with 139. Okeke is currently ranked 4^th nationally in blocks per game.