ROCK HILL, SC— Following an 11-day layoff and final exams the Winthrop men's basketball team is back in action Sunday afternoon when it hosts Hiwassee College.
 

Game 9: Winthrop (4-4, 0-0 Big South) vs. Hiwassee (8-9)
Date	Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, 2 p.m. (EST)
Location	Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum / 6,100)
Live Stats	Statbroadcast (click here)
Television/Stream	ESPN+ (click here) Mike Pacheco (PxP) – Bobby Stevens (Analyst)
Radio	94.3 FM/104.1 The Bridge / ESPN 730 | WGNC AM1450/101.1 FM (click here) / Dave Friedman (PxP) – Mitch Hill (Analyst) – Pregame 1:30 p.m.
Notes	Winthrop | Hiwassee
Social Media	@Winthrop_MBB | @WUEagles | #ROCKtheHILL | #WinthropMBB #WinthropEverStand
Tickets	Click Here

 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Winthrop
G         0          Nych Smith (5-10, Sr., 17.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G         3          Michael Anumba (6-5, Fr., 9.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
G         13        Bjorn Broman (6-0, Sr., 9.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G         14        Adam Pickett (6-1, Sr., 11.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg)
F          25        Josh Ferguson (6-8, Jr., 11.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.5 apg)
 
THE SERIES
Series Record: first meeting
Series Streak: first meeting
Record at Winthrop Coliseum: 0-0
Streak at Winthrop Coliseum: first meeting
Kelsey vs. Hiwassee: first meeting
 
SERIES HISTORY

• This is the first ever meeting between Winthrop and Hiwassee
• The Eagles have won 51 straight against Non-D1 opponents and are 94-8 all-time and 2-0 this season
• Eagles have posted 100 or more points against six straight Non-D1 opponents 

THE GAME

• Eagles are looking to get back on track and above .500 after their 99-81 loss at Davidson
• Winthrop is 2-1 at home this season and 56-9 in the last 65 games at the Winthrop Coliseum
• During Pat Kelsey's tenure the Eagles are 75-18 at home
• This season the Eagles lead the Big South with 12.1 three-pointers per game as they've hit 10 or more in four straight games and six of the last seven 

WINTHROP       

• Head coach Pat Kelsey is in his seventh season with the Eagles (125-75)
• Eagles coming off loss at Davidson but have won two of the last three games
• Continue to lead the Big South in scoring at 91.8 points per game, ranking seventh nationally
• Nych Smith leads the team in scoring and is 5^th in the Big South at 17.1 ppg
• Smith had his third 20-point game of the year with 25 in the loss at Davidson as he knocked down a career-best four triples
• Adam Pickett is second on the team at 11.9 ppg while Josh Ferguson is third averaging 11.5 ppg
• Eagles have seven players averaging 8.6 ppg or higher that have played in at least five of the eight games this season
• Winthrop has five players with 10 or more made threes on the year as Bjorn Broman leads the way with 21 while Smith and Raivis Scerbinskis are tied for second with 13 

HIWASSEE

• Is led by Will Raby, in his fifth season as head basketball coach
• Raby also coaches the men's golf team
• Tigers are 0-4 against NCAA D1 opponents this season, losing by an average of 43.5 ppg
• Hold an 8-5 mark against non-D1 opponents and are averaging 75.7 ppg
• Bryant Bernard leads the team in scoring at 17.3 while Nequon Newman is scoring 14.0 

RECORD BOOK WATCH

• Bjorn Broman now has 181 career threes and is all alone in 8^th all-time in program history as he became the 8^th player in program history with 180 made threes
• He is now 19 threes away from becoming the 7^th player in program history to hit 200 threes
• Broman is just outside the Top 10 all-time in career three-point field goal percentage at .369 (LaShawn Coulter is 10^th at .373)

 
WHERE DO THE EAGLES RANK IN THE BIG SOUTH?
Winthrop currently leads the Big South Conference in scoring (91.8 ppg), free throw percentage (.774), defensive rebounds (31.8) and three-point field goals per game (12.1). Winthrop has led the Big South in scoring the past three seasons and in scoring margin and three-point field goals per game the last two seasons. Eagles rank second in field goal percentage (.485), rebounding margin (+3.2), rebounding offense (40.6) and assists per game (17.3). Nych Smith's 17.1 ppg ranks 5^th in the league while Josh Ferguson ranks third in rebounds per game (7.6). Bjorn Broman is 6^th in the Big South in three-point field goals per game (2.6) and three-point field goal percentage (.404).

WINTHROP SPORTS SHOW AT ROCO
Every Thursday at The Roasting Company throughout the basketball season will be the Winthrop Sports Show at ROCO hosted by the voices of the Winthrop Eagles Dave Friedman and Mike Pacheco. The two will sit down weekly with head coaches Pat Kelsey and Lynette Woodard as well as other selected guests throughout the season. The show is from 6-6:30 p.m. and airs live on 94.3 FM & 104.1 The Bridge.