ROCK HILL, SC— Winthrop men's basketball will look for a second straight road win as it crosses the border as it takes on Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, NC Thursday night with the tip set for 7 p.m.
 

Game 26: Winthrop (16-9, 10-4 Big South) at Gardner-Webb (12-15, 7-7 Big South)
Date	Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Location	Boiling Springs, NC (Paul Porter Arena / 3,500)
Live Stats	Statbroadcast (click here)
Television/Stream	Big South Network (click here) / Fabian Fuentes (PxP)
Radio	94.3 FM & 104.1 The Bridge (click here) / Dave Friedman (PxP) – Mike Pacheco (Analyst) – Pregame 6 p.m.
Notes	Winthrop | Gardner-Webb
Social Media	@WUGameDay | @Winthrop_MBB | @WUEagles | #ROCKtheHILL
Tickets	Click Here

 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Winthrop
G         10        Anders Broman (6-2, Gr., 12.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
G         13        Bjorn Broman (6-0, Jr., 11.4 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.2 rpg)
G         14        Adam Pickett (6-1, Jr., 7.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg)
F          12        Xavier Cooks (6-8, Sr., 17.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.6 apg)
F          25        Josh Ferguson (6-8, So., 9.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
 
Gardner-Webb
G         4          Christian Turner (5-10, So., 2.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G         5          Liam O'Reilly (6-2, Sr., 14.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G         11        David Efianayi (6-2, R-Jr., 17.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F          24        Patrick Zeck (6-7, So., 5.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.7 bpg)
F          25        D.J. Laster (6-6, Jr., 13.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.6 spg)
 
 
THE SERIES
Series Record: Winthrop leads 19-9
Series Streak: W7
Record at Paul Porter Arena: 2-3
Streak at Paul Porter Arena: W2
Kelsey vs. Gardner-Webb: 8-4
 
SERIES HISTORY

• This is the second meeting of the season and the 29^th meeting all-time
• Winthrop leads the all-time series 19-9 after capturing a 90-67 victory over Gardner-Webb on Jan. 15
• The Eagles have now won seven straight against the Runnin' Bulldogs
• Of Winthrop's 19 wins against Gardner-Webb, 13 of them have been by fewer than 10 points and nine have been by five or fewer points 

 
THE GAME

• This game is important for both teams as they try and improve their spots in the league standings
• Winthrop remains one game behind UNC Asheville as it tries to keep pace and set up a showdown for first place on Feb. 22
• Gardner-Webb is currently in a three-way tie for 5^th and just a game back of third place
• The Runnin' Bulldogs have avoided being swept this season so far
• Winthrop leads the Big South in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, blocked shots, assists per game, defensive rebounds and three-point field goals per game
• These two teams have faced each other in the Big South Conference Tournament semifinals in each of the past two seasons 

 
WINTHROP       

• Riding a three-game winning streak and winners of nine of the last 10
• Eagles hit the 80-mark for the first time in five games in the 82-70 win at High Point
• The win at High Point put the Eagles at 4-3 on the road in conference play, having won four of the last five
• Averaging 9.8 three-point field goals per game, which is on pace to break the school record set last season at 9.5
• This year's total of 245 made threes are the 5^th most in a single-season in program history
• Xavier Cooks is coming off his sixth 20-point game in the eight games
• Cooks had 17 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in the first meeting with Gardner-Webb
• Anders Broman and Bjorn Broman are two of the top shooting threats in the league
• Anders Broman is averaging 12.2 ppg and has 56 made threes while Bjorn Broman is averaging 11.4 ppg and has 66 made triples
• Along with Cooks and the Broman brothers, Adam Pickett and Josh Ferguson are also averaging double-figures in league games only
• Pat Kelsey earned his 66^th victory in conference play with the win at High Point as he moved into second place all-time in Winthrop history for Big South wins 

 
GARDNER-WEBB

• Have dropped two straight that included a home loss to Campbell (78-70) on Feb. 7
• The loss to Campbell was the first loss of the season by the Runnin' Bulldogs at Paul Porter Arena as they are now 10-1 on the year at home
• Runnin' Bulldogs are 2-3 in the last five games and 3-5 since last facing the Eagles
• Offense is led by three players in double-figures with David Efianayi leading the way at 17.4 ppg
• Liam O'Reilly is averaging 14.1 ppg and D.J. Last is scoring 13.9 ppg
• Efianayi led Gardner-Webb in the first meeting with Winthrop as he scored 21 followed by 13 points from Laster and O'Reilly had 12
• Efianayi has led the team in scoring in three of the last five games
• Prior to the loss against Campbell, the two previous home games were decided by a total of five points 

 
LIVING IN THE 80'S

• The Eagles scored 80 or more points in eight straight games which is a school record (came to an end at VCU)
• The Eagles are 11-2 this year when scoring 80 or more in a game and since the arrival of head coach Pat Kelsey the Eagles are 62-11 when hitting the 80-mark
• Of the 11 losses when scoring 80 or more, seven of them have come against Big South opponents (3 in OT) and three against Power 5 opponents
• Streak of 80 or more points on the road came to an end at four straight as the Eagles have now hit that mark in eight of the last 14 dating back to last season
• After scoring 80 or more in eight of the first 10 games, Eagles went six straight games without reaching 80 before they posted 90 in the win over Gardner-Webb on Jan. 15

 
BIG SOUTH WEEKLY PLAYER HONORS

• Xavier Cooks has been tabbed the Big South Player of the Week four times this season (Dec. 4/Dec. 11/Jan. 22/Jan. 29)
• He earned his fourth honor on Jan. 29 for helping the Eagles to two wins and moving into a three-way tie for first in the league standings
• During that week he averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 blocks in wins over Longwood and Campbell
• He's now earned back-to-back weekly honors twice this season and has a career total of six
• Cooks scored a career-high 31 points at Georgia that included five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal to earn his second league honor of the year
• Cooks grabbed his first weekly honor of the season by averaging 17.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in a week he recorded his first ever triple-double (11 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Reinhardt)
• Kyle Zunic was named the Big South Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20 after he averaged 14.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds against Colorado State and Central Penn

 
CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS

• Xavier Cooks is establishing his name in many categories of the Winthrop record book
• Against Radford Cooks became the program's all-time leader in rebounds, pass Charles Brunson's mark of 913 (a record that stood for 36 years)
• Cooks became the 4^th Eagle all-time to reach 1,600 career points as he now has 1,681 and now ranks 3^rd on the all-time list
• Cooks also ranks first all-time in blocked shots (203), 1st in rebounds (927), 4^th in field goals made (622), 5^th in free throws made (343), 6^th in free throws attempted (490), and 7^th in career scoring average (13.9)
• Bjorn Broman now has 154 career threes (11^th all-time) as he's 6 away from cracking the Top 10
• Broman is also 9^th all-time in career three-point percentage (.379) while his brother Anders is 7^th at .396

 
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 also airs on 94.3 FM & 104.1 The Bridge.
(FULL SCHEDULE)