ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop heads to Gardner-Webb Wednesday night in search of a fourth straight victory and a chance to move into a tie for second or third place in the league standings by days end.

GAME SNAPSHOT 
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016
Winthrop (12-6, 4-3 BSC) at Gardner-Webb (10-9, 5-2 BSC)
Game Time: 7 p.m. EST / Site: Boiling Springs, NC (Paul Porter Arena)
Live Video: Big South Network Television: none  Audio: 104.1 The Bridge (pregame 6:30 p.m. with Dave Friedman/Mike Pacheco)
Live Stats / Live Video / Live Audio





Winthrop Probable Starters
G    1      Bjorn Broman (6.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
G    5      Keon Johnson (19.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
F    12     Xavier Cooks (13.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
F    44     Jimmy Gavin (17.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
C    25     Zach Price (5.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

SERIES HISTORY
Winthrop and Gardner-Webb meet for the 23^rd time. The Eagles hold a 13-9 advantage in the all-time series as they won the previous meeting 71-68 at the Winthrop Coliseum. Winthrop has dropped four straight games at Paul Porter Arena by an average of 5.5 ppg. In 22 meetings all-time, Winthrop has scored 1,459 points (66.3 ppg) while Gardner-Webb has totaled 1,452 (66.0 ppg).

THE MATCHUP
Winthrop enters the game having won two straight in league play and three overall while Gardner-Webb is coming off a loss at UNC Asheville following a five-game winning streak. Winthrop is alone in fourth place of the league standings while Gardner-Webb sits in third place. The Eagles were held below 80 points for the first time in four games, but for the second straight game turned in a strong defensive performance. Winthrop, the league's top scoring offense, won 74-58 over Liberty, the lowest point total against the Eagles all season and fewest in a league game since the final game of 2014-15 in an 80-53 win over PC. In victories the Eagles have won by an average of 10.3 while they've lost by an average of 9.0 points in the three setbacks. Gardner-Webb enters as the league's third rated offense with 77.3 ppg and lead the league in steals. The Runnin' Bulldogs are right there with the Eagles in three-pointers made per game at 8.32 while Winthrop averages 8.39.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior Jimmy Gavin is coming off a performance last week that led to him being named the Big South Conference Player of the Week. Gavin, who earned the weekly honor for the second time this season, is averaging a team-best 20.6 ppg over the last five games while shooting 56 percent from the field, 55 percent behind the arc and 90 percent at the foul line. In eight road games he's averaged 17.3 ppg. Junior Keon Johnson, who has also earned Big South Player of the Week honors twice, enters the game averaging 15.2 points over the last five while shooting 45 percent from the field and just 31 percent from three. In eight road games Johnson has averaged 22.9 points while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 45 percent from three. In five of his last six road games, he's scored 21 or more points. Sophomore Xavier Cooks is averaging 13.9 ppg over the last five and is shooting 66 percent from the floor in that span as well as 50 percent from three and 70 percent at the foul line. Keep an eye out on the trio of Cooks, Duby Okeke and Zach Price defending the post as Gardner-Webb features one of the top scoring post players in the Big South Tyrell Nelson has averaged a double-double in the last five games at 19.6 points and 10.4 rebounds as he is sixth in the league in scoring overall at 15.8 ppg. He is the league-leader in rebounds at 8.1 and is third in offensive boards per game at 3.37. Last season he averaged 12.5 ppg and 12.0 rpg in two contests against the Eagles while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 82 percent at the line. The Runnin' Bulldogs have three players with 30 or more threes but the most dangerous is the second-leading scorer on the team, Harold McBride. The senior is averaging 12.5 ppg while shooting 43 percent from three (42-for-97).

LAST TIME OUT
Xavier Cooks led three players in double-figures as the Eagles won their third straight game and second consecutive in league play with a 74-58 win over Liberty. Cooks had 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting as he sparked an 11-2 run to end the first half. The Eagles shot 52 percent from the floor, which was the fourth straight game the team finished shooting 50 percent or better.

THE COACHES
Pat Kelsey is in his fourth season at the helm of the Winthrop men's basketball program. He holds a record of 65-49 in four seasons with appearances in the Big South championship game the past two seasons. The Eagles are 32-25 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. Gardner-Webb Is led by third-year head coach Tim Craft, who is 48-39 overall and 25-17 in the Big South.

MILESTONES
Junior Keon Johnson continues to climb the all-time scoring list as he surpassed 1,100 career points last week and now has 1,115 (17^th all-time). In his career he's averaging 13.6 ppg and if he were to maintain that average for the remainder of his career (estimation of at least 42 possible games to play) he would finish with over 1,600 points, which only two players in school history have achieved.  He is the third player to reach 1,000 career points in Pat Kelsey's four years (Keon Moore/A. Smith). Johnson moved into the Top 10 for free throws made and three-pointers made. He's currently made 276 (T-8^th) in his and is 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's currently 9th all-time in made threes with 161. Duby Okeke is averaging 2.93 blocks per game, which leads the Big South and ranks in the Top 10 in the nation. In 15 games he's blocked 44 shots and the program record for blocks in a season is 66 by Josh Grant in 2002-03. Okeke moved into 9^th all-time with 90 career blocks and Xavier Cooks has 72. Billy Houston is the all-time leader in career blocks with 139.  Okeke is only 14 blocks from the Top 3 all-time and his 44 blocks this year are tied for 6^th best for a single-season.