Winthrop (14-4, 6-1 BSC) at Liberty  (11-9, 6-1 BSC)
Game Time:7 p.m. EST / Site: Lynchburg, VA (Vines Center)
Live Video: Big South Network Television: ESPN3  / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge, pregame 6:30 p.m (Dave Friedman-PxP/Karl Lyles-Color)
Live Stats  / Live Video  / Live Audio 

ROCK HILL, SC—For the second time in three days, Winthrop men's basketball will square off in a battle for first place as it hits the road for a 7 p.m. contest Saturday night at Liberty.

Winthrop has won five straight games and is coming off a 76-73 win over UNC Asheville to remain in a tie for first place with the Flames, who held on for a 65-62 win over Gardner-Webb. The Eagles continued their best start under head coach Pat Kelsey at 14-4 overall and 6-1 in the Big South. The game will be available on the Big South Network and ESPN3 or fans can tune into 104.1 The Bridge with Dave Friedman on the call.

A strong second half defensive effort helped the Eagles continue their winning streak as they overcame an 11-point first half deficit and held the Bulldogs to just 27 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes. Asheville went just over 11 minutes without a field goal.

For the first time in seven games, the team's leading scorer Keon Johnson did not lead the team in points as Xavier Cooks took over the role for the evening. The junior forward scored a team-high 19 points and hauled in 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Senior Roderick Perkins scored a season-high 17 points as he knocked down four threes. Johnson was just 1-for-11 from the floor after scoring 20 or more points in six straight games and 10 of the last 11. He still leads the team and is second in the Big South at 20.5 ppg. Johnson will look to bounce back on the road where he's averaging 25.4 points on the season and has scored 20 or more in six of the seven road games he's played.

Cooks hit a second three midway through the second half of the win over the Bulldogs to reach 1,000 career points. He becomes the 24^th Winthrop player to join the 1,000-point club.

This will mark the 55^th meeting all-time between Winthrop and Liberty as the Eagles lead the series 38-16 in all games and 33-15 in league games. Liberty won the last meeting on Feb. 2, 2016 in Lynchburg, VA with an 88-77 victory. Winthrop had won the previous nine meetings that included four straight wins at the Vines Center and has won 12-of-14 meetings.

Liberty is 11-9 overall and winners of four straight and are 7-4 on the year having won the last three. While the Eagles boast the top scoring offense in the league, Liberty has the top scoring defense. Both Winthrop and Liberty each lead the league with 9.1 threes per game. The Flames have held their last four opponents to less than 70 points.

Ryan Kemrite leads the Flames in scoring at 14.0 per game while John Dawson is averaging 9.8 ppg and 2.8 apg. Both scored 20 each in the win over Gardner-Webb.