Winthrop (3-2) vs. Furman (3-3)
Game Time: 6:30 p.m. EST / Site: Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum)
Live Video:  Big South Network (Mike Pacheco-PxP/Karll Lyles-Color) / Television: none / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge, pregame 6 p.m.-Dave Friedman-PxP/Ron Mikels-Color)
Live Stats / Live Video  / Live Audio

ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop welcomes Furman for a midweek non-conference clash as the Paladins come to the Winthrop Coliseum Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.

The Eagles are coming off a home loss to New Hampshire in their final NIT Season Tip-off contest as they enter the game at 3-2. The game will air on the Big South Network or fans can listen in to Dave Friedman with the call on 104.1 The Bridge.

Winthrop looks to begin a new home win streak as a 10-game non-conference home win streak came to an end against New Hampshire. Winthrop finished with its lowest offensive output of the season despite shooting 42 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three (9-for-22). New Hampshire outrebounded the Eagles by 16 and made the most of Winthrop's 11 turnovers with a 20-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

Junior Xavier Cooks leads the Eagles in scoring at 18.6 ppg after scoring a career-high 30 points against UNH. He was an impressive 12-for-17 from the floor with four made threes and led the team with eight rebounds. He's now scored 20 or more points in three of the first five games.

Senior Keon Johnson is second on the team in scoring at 18.3 ppg and is coming off eight points on 3-of-13 shooting against the Wildcats. So far in two home games he's averaged 6.5 ppg and is 5-for-21 from the field. Don't expect that to last very long as Johnson averaged 17.5 ppg at home last season and shot 46 percent from the floor to help the Eagles to a 14-1 home mark.

Against UNH, Johnson moved into 5^th on Winthrop's all-time scoring list and is now just 27 points behind 4^th as he looks to pass Winthrop Hall of Famer Tyson Waterman. He is just five points away from cracking the Top 50 Big South Conference all-time scoring list.

The Eagles opened the season with two games in two and a half days and a total of four games in the first nine days that included trips to Manhattan, NY, Tallahassee, FL and Champaign, IL. Tonight's game is the second of three games in a six-day span and four games in nine days. However, this time the Eagles will play three of the four at home.

It hasn't been easy for opponents to snag wins at the Winthrop Coliseum over the last few years as Winthrop has won 20 of the last 22 home games. The Eagles will look to continue its success against a Furman squad that is 3-3 on the year and 1-2 on the road (won at University of Alabama-Birmingham).

This will be the 9^th meeting between the two programs as Furman leads the series 5-3. The Paladins claimed victory in the first five meetings while the Eagles have won the last three. The last meeting took place 18 years ago on Nov. 23, 1998 with the Eagles holding off Furman for a 60-59 victory.

Furman's Devin Sibley leads four players in double-figures with 14.0 ppg. Sibley shooting 44 percent from the floor and 41 percent behind the arc. Daniel Fowler is second on the team with 13.5 ppg followed by Kris Acox at 11.8 ppg and Geoff Beans at 11.3 ppg. All four are starters and all five starters are the top five in scoring. Fowler leads the team in free throws made at 21 (78%) while Beans is the top shooter from three (20-for-36) for a Paladin team that averages 11.2 threes per game.

In six games Furman has averaged 81.8 ppg and allowed 66.0 ppg. The Paladins are shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three. Furman opened the season with a road loss at Presbyterian College, but bounced back for the win at UAB. So far the Paladins are 0-2 against the Big South as they fell 64-58 to UNC Asheville at home on Nov. 22 and have dropped four straight against BSC opponents. In three road games Furman is averaging 77.7 points while allowing 77.0.