ROCK HILL, SC— Xavier Cooks recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds to help Winthrop to a 77-71 victory over Gardner-Webb, Saturday afternoon in the Winthrop Coliseum.

Winthrop is now 19-6 on the year and 11-3 in the Big South while Gardner-Webb falls to 14-13 overall and 7-7 in the league. The Eagles will be back on the road for their next contest when they head to Farmville, VA on Wednesday, Feb. 15 to take on Longwood at 7 p.m.

It was a two-point game with 2:50 to play after Gardner-Webb's Liam O'Reilly knocked down a pair of free throws. Keon Johnson tried to give the Eagles a five-point lead, but his three didn't fall but the ball bounced off a Gardner-Webb player and out to retain possession as they took advantage. Just a few seconds after inbounding the ball Xavier Cooks found Anders Broman open for three in the corner as the Eagles outscored Gardner-Web 8-4 down the stretch.

Cooks led all scorers as he also dished out four assists and had one block in 33 minutes. Johnson finished with 15 points as he was 11-for-12 from the foul line. Roderick Perkins had 10 points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals.

Winthrop got after it defensively in the second half and crashed the offensive glass. Winthrop held Gardner-Webb to 35 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, holding the Runnin' Bulldogs without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes in the second half. Winthrop finished with 14 more shots than Gardner-Webb in the second half as it had 12 offensive boards for a 9-2 advantage in second chance points.

David Efianayi led four players in double-figures for Gardner-Webb with 13 points. Tyrell Nelson and Jamaal Robateau each had 11 while LaQuincy Rideau finished with 10 points and six assists.

The Eagles got off to a slow start as Gardner-Webb built a 12-5 lead four and a half minutes into the game and then led by seven again at 15-8 with just over 14 to play. The Eagles went on a 5-0 spurt as Tevin Prescott completed a three-point play and Adam Pickett came away with a steal and then finished on the other end.

Winthrop trailed 19-18 at the 9:29 mark after a jumper from Cooks, but seven straight points by the Runnin' Bulldogs pushed the lead to 26-18 with eight minutes to play. Robateau scored the final points of the run with a three and then two more off the drive.

Before halftime the Eagles pulled within a point but couldn't regain the lead as Gardner-Webb shot 57 percent in the first half and led 41-40 at the break. Winthrop finished the first half shooting 43 percent from the floor and got to the foul line (10-for-13, 77 percent).
 
EXTRA DRIBBLE
-Winthrop's 15 offensive rebounds are tied for the second most in a game this season (17 in the win over Longwood at home
-Cooks scored 20 points for the 14^th time in his career and 6^th time this season
-Winthrop is now 14-2 in games in which Cooks records a double-double (Has four games this year with 9 rebounds)
-Eagles are one win away from the program's 11^th 20-win season as a D1 program and would be the 3^rd under head coach Pat Kelsey
-Winthrop rallied from a halftime deficit for the sixth time this season