Winthrop (18-6, 10-3 BSC) vs. Gardner-Webb (14-12, 7-6 BSC)
Game Time: 12 p.m. EST / Site: Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum)
Live Video: none Television: ASN (Evan Lepler-PxP/Jeff Jackson-Color) / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge, pregame 11:30 a.m (Dave Friedman-PxP/Mike Pacheco-Color)
Live Stats  / Live Video  / Live Audio

GAME PROMOTION--Harry Potter Day (500 Harry Potter glasses/50 Harry Potter wands/50 Harry Potter lightning bolt tattoos

ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop and Gardner-Webb are both coming off double-overtime losses Thursday night as they look to rebound when they square off Saturday at noon in the Winthrop Coliseum.

The Eagles fell one game back of first place with the hard fought loss at Asheville and are now 18-6 on the year and 10-3 in the Big South. The game will be available on the American Sports Network or fans can tune into Dave Friedman and Mike Pacheco call the action on 104.1 The Bridge.

This will be the second time this season the Eagles and the Runnin' Bulldogs have faced each other and the 26^th meeting all-time. Winthrop won the first meeting in Boiling Springs just a few weeks ago, 72-70, and leads the all-time series 16-9. Winthrop has won the last four meetings with two of the games coming down to the final possession. Since the two teams last met the Eagles are 2-2 as Gardner-Webb won three straight after the loss to Winthrop before falling in double-overtime to Liberty Thursday night.

Senior Keon Johnson put on a display in the loss at Asheville as he posted a career-high 40 points on 14-for-29 shooting. He became just the fifth player in program history to score 40 or more points. He also became the program's all-time leading scorer with his 17^th point of the game as he knocked down two free throws midway through the second half. Johnson is now the career leader in points, free throws made and three-point field goals made. He's 26 points away from becoming the 13^th player in Big South history to score 1,900 points. Johnson is 2^nd in the Big South in scoring at 22.3 per game. The school record for scoring average in a single-season is 22.4 held by Charles Brunson and the D1 record is 21.1 held by Fred McKinnon.

Junior Xavier Cooks is coming off 20 points and nine rebounds as he's nearly averaging a double-double in the last 10 games (13.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg). He did so in regulation as he fouled out with seven seconds left in regulation. Cooks thought he had blocked the potential game-tying shot, but was whistled for the foul. Cooks was an impressive 8-for-11 from the floor and 3-for-3 at the foul line.  Cooks is 7^th in the league in scoring at 15.3 ppg, 3^rd in rebounding at 8.3 per game and 2^nd in blocks per game (1.7).

Gardner-Webb has won three of its last four contests, five of its last eight and 8-of-12 games. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 4-2 on the road in league play and 6-6 in all road games this season. In six league road games Gardner-Webb is averaging 77.8 ppg and allowing 72.8 ppg.

The offense is very balanced for Gardner-Webb, which has three players averaging 13 or more points per game led by LaQuincy Rideau's 13.8 per game. Tyrell Nelson is one of the best post players in the league and he averages 13.5 points, 7.1 rebounds. David Efianayi is scoring 13.0 ppg. The next two scorers are the biggest three-point threats for the Runnin' Bulldogs as Jamaal Robateau is scoring 8.8 ppg and is 43-for-120 behind the arc. Liam O'Reilly is scoring 7.7 ppg and is 43-for-125 from three.