ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's basketball returns from a brief break for Christmas as it hosts the University of Rio Grande (OH) looking for a third straight win.

GAME SNAPSHOT 
Winthrop (8-3) vs. University of Rio Grande (OH) (10-4)
Game Time: 7 p.m. EST / Site: Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum)
Live Video: none Television: none / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge (pregame 6:30 p.m. with Dave Friedman/Ron Mikels)
Live Stats / Live Video (none) / Live Audio

SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the first ever meet between Winthrop and the University of Rio Grande (OH).

HOME SWEET HOME
After playing six of seven games on the road, the Eagles returned to the confines of the Winthrop Coliseum for three straight and started the home stand off right with a victory over Alabama State. Winthrop is 5-0 at home this season and has won 11 straight home games dating back to last season. In that streak the Eagles have defeated seven straight non-conference opponents. The seven 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 39-10 (.796) 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 ranked fourth in the nation before his injury 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 returns to the court after a three-day break for Christmas and look to get back into the swing of things and continue its win streak. The Eagles have won back-to-back games and are looking for a third straight win and an opportunity to finish the month of December with a winning record. The Eagles feature one of the top 40 offenses in the country at 82.5 ppg (39^th nationally) led by junior Keon Johnson (20.0 ppg), senior Jimmy Gavin (16.8 ppg) and sophomore Xavier Cooks (13.4 ppg). The RedStorm are averaging 85.4 ppg, which ranks 32^nd in NAIA Division II and are led by D.D. Joiner (18.5 ppg), Dwayne Bazemore (14.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg), and Kevonta Black (12.1 ppg). Both teams are averaging over eight threes made per game as Winthrop is at 8.2 and the Red Storm at 8.4.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Keon Johnson is the only Eagle that has scored in double-figures in all 11 games and he's averaging 21.6 ppg over the last five games while shooting 52 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. He is now just 18 points from 1,000 in his career. Jimmy Gavin has put together back-to-back 20-point games with 20 on the road at Georgia Southern on Dec. 19 and 23 against Alabama State on Dec. 22. Gavin now has five games with 20 or more points this season and the team is 4-1 when he reaches the 20-point plateau. Rio Grande's D.D. Joiner has scored over 1,500 points and hit over 130 threes in his career. He's scored a season-high 33 points against Mount Vernon Nazarene (OH) and scored 20 or more in five games. Dwayne Bazemore is a 6-10 center with five double-doubles on the year and has been in double-figures in 11 straight games.  

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. Ken French is in his 10^th season with the University of Rio Grande.

MILESTONES
Johnson is closing in on 1,000 career points (972) and is now 9^th in the program's all-time Top 10 three-pointers made (143). Johnson is also among the top free throw shooters in the history of the program as he's currently shooting .844 in his career, which ranks fourth all-time. He is eight 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 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 59. 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 was ranked 4^th nationally in blocks per game before his injury.