ROCK HILL, SC— Jimmy Gavin scored a game-high 25 points, including eight straight points with under four minutes to play that lifted Winthrop to an 88-80 victory over Longwood, Thursday night in Big South Conference men's basketball action.

The Eagles improve to 17-7 on the year and 9-4 in the Big South while Longwood falls to 8-18 overall and 4-9 in the league. Winthrop looks for a second straight win on Saturday, Feb. 13 on the road at Radford with a noon tip. The game will air on the American Sports Network.

With 3:48 to play in the game, Darrion Allen drilled a three to put the Lancers up 77-76. It was the eighth lead change of the game, but Gavin stepped up and buried a three from the corner out of a timeout. Gavin pushed the lead to 81-77 a couple of possession later when he drove baseline and swished a short jumper. Kanayo Obi-Rapu tried a three on the other end that missed and then Gavin hit a step back three in the corner that was contested by Shaquille Johnson for an 84-77 lead with 1:57 to play.

The Lancers did make a four-point game with 1:43 to play but Keon Johnson and Gavin each made two free throws down the stretch to clinch the win.

Gavin finished the game 9-for-19 from the field and 7-for-14 from three as he also tied for the team lead with four assists. Xavier Cooks recorded his seventh career double-double with 20 points and tied his career-best 12 rebounds. Johnson extended his streak to 27 games in double-figures with 10 points. Zach Price finished the game with nine points and tied his career-highs in rebounds with nine and blocks with three.

Allen caught fire in the second half as he hit five threes and finished with a team-high 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half alone. He paced five Lancers in double-figures as Tra'vaughn White added 16 points, Khris Lane had 14 points and Lotanna Nwogbo had a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.

In the first six minutes of the second half Longwood worked its way back into the game and tied it at 55-55 on an Allen three. On the next Longwood possession it took the lead on a tip-in by White. Over the next seven minutes the teams traded baskets until Winthrop hit back-to-back threes from Johnson and Bjorn Broman. That opened up a four-point cushion that was quickly erased and turned into a one-point lead after the Allen three with 3:48 to play.

Winthrop shot 43 percent in the game behind 16 threes, which are one shy of the school record (9-for-17 in the second half). Longwood finished the game shooting 44 percent from the floor and 9-for-21 behind the arc. The game finished with eight lead changes and it was tied nine times.

Longwood ended the first half on a 13-4 run, but the Eagles held a 42-37 lead at the break. The Lancers had a chance to tie or take the lead with under a minute left in the half, but Obi-Rapu's three hit off the front of the rim. Adam Pickett boarded the miss and immediately dribbled down to the other end and right to the basket as he scored and was fouled in the act. Pickett completed the three-point play to help the Eagles to their five-point halftime lead.

Early on the Lancers led 8-5 after Kris Lane came up with a steal on the defensive end and then drained a three. The Eagles responded with an 11-3 run fueled by some offensive rebounding. Cooks started it off as he boarded a miss and knocked down a jumper in the lane. A couple of possessions Joshua Davenport boarded a miss that led to a Gavin three about 10 seconds later for an 11-8 lead. Johnson's straight away three made it 14-8 in favor of the Eagles and then Gavin made it 16-8 as he collected an offensive rebound and then hit a fade away jumper on the baseline, forcing a Longwood timeout.

Longwood closed the gap to 18-15 before the Eagles went on another run, this time outscoring the Lancers 12-2 for a 30-17 advantage with 7:50 left in the half. Cooks got it going with five straight points followed by another triple from Gavin, a jump hook from Price and capped off with a steal and layup on the other end by Pickett.

Winthrop shot 43 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes while Longwood shot 40 percent. The Eagles started off 3-for-11 from three, but finished off the half going 7-for-18 and turned eight offensive rebounds into 13 second chance points.