Kelsey Post Game Interview With Dave Friedman
Audio Highlights
CHAMPAIGN, IL— Senior Keon Johnson returned to the lineup after a one-game absence with an injury and scored a career-high 38 points to lead Winthrop to an 84-80 overtime victory at Illinois, Monday night in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Johnson missed Friday's game at Florida State and came off the bench to score his career-high and lead the Eagles from an early 14-2 deficit as the Eagles are now 3-1 on the year while Illinois drops its first game of the season and is 4-1.

Senior Tevin Prescott sealed the victory with five seconds left as he knocked down two free throws after boarding a missed free throw and getting fouled. The victory is the first ever by a Winthrop squad over a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is the third victor over an opponent from a Power 5 conference under head coach Pat Kelsey (at Auburn in 2012 and at Clemson in 2014).

The Eagles trailed 70-60 with 3:27 to play in regulation after Jaylon Tate drilled a three, but they responded with a 10-0 run to force overtime. The run started when Johnson scored on a drive to the basket followed by two more buckets off the drive to cut the deficit to three points with just over a minute to play. Johnson looked to tie the game with 37 seconds remaining but couldn't get his three-pointer to fall, but Prescott rebounded the miss and a few seconds later Xavier Cooks dropped in a triple to tie the game.

The momentum grabbed by the Eagles carried over into overtime as the Eagles took the lead on a Prescott dunk off a feed from Roderick Perkins. Johnson put the Eagles up 74-72 on a layup and then Prescott came away with a steal and went the other way for another dunk and a four-point lead. The Illini had a couple of chances to tie the game in the final minute of overtime but the Eagles got the stops defensively.

Johnson was joined in double-figures by Cooks with 13 points and Prescott with 10 points. Prescott also finished with nine rebounds while Cooks had six. The Eagles shot 50 percent for the game, were 10-for-22 behind the arc and 14-for-17 at the free throw line.

Illinois was led by Michael Finke's 18 points while Tracy Abrams added 17, Malcolm Hill had 14 and Leron Black added 10. Illinois shot 44 percent in the game that included 11-for-24 behind the arc.

Winthrop got off to a slow start and a 9-0 run by Illinois put the Eagles behind 14-2 in the early going. Winthrop responded with a 9-0 run of its own, triggered by two baskets from Johnson after he just checked into the game. The run was capped off by a Bjorn Broman triple. A few minutes later a 6-0 spurt by Illinois increased its lead to 21-14 but the Eagles outscored the Illini 11-4 to tie the game at 25 all with 5:42 left in the first half after Cooks made two free throws.

The deficit for the Eagles grew to nine points with just over two and a half minutes left in the half but ended on a 5-0 run to trail 38-34 at the break.

Winthrop will be back in action on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m. when it hosts New Hampshire in its final contest of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

EXTRA DRIBBLE
-Johnson made 15 field goals on his way to a career-high 38 points, which are tied for the sixth most points in a single-game in program history
-It is Johnson's sixth career 30-point game and the 24^th time he's scored 20 or more
-Johnson now has 1,426 career points as he moves into sixth on the all-time scoring list, just a single-point from Fred McKinnon in 5th
-Winthrop is 15-3 in games that Prescott scores in double-figures during his career as an Eagle
-The Eagles had 22 turnovers that led to 25 points for Illinois, but the Eagles forced 22 turnovers as well
-Under Kelsey, the Eagles are now 27-8 in games they connect on at least 10 three-pointers
-Winthrop has now won 17 of its last 21 games played dating back to last season
-Johnson's 38 points off the bench gave the Eagles a 54-18 advantage in bench points