Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop begins a four-game road trip on Saturday, Dec. 10 with a trip to Furman in a non-conference Palmetto State matchup.
WINTHROP (5-5, 0-0 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
0 |
Sin'Cere McMahon |
6-1 |
Jr. |
15.1 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
0.8 |
Career-high 24 points at Mercer / 8th in the Big South in scoring / 83 career threes / career-high 5 assists vs. Toccoa Falls |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Jr.. |
7.3 |
2.0 |
2.7 |
1.7 |
Started last three games / 9 assists, 4 steals over last two games |
| G/F |
12 |
Cory Hightower |
6-7 |
R-Sr. |
13.0 |
5.8 |
3.1 |
0.7 |
Leads team in assists per game / Preseason All-Big South 1st Team / 1,462 career points, 737 career rebounds |
| F |
33 |
Chase Claxton |
6-7 |
Sr. |
4.8 |
4.7 |
1.2 |
1.7 |
Played in 96 career games / Leads team with 13 steals and 15 blocks / Tied for 3rd in Big South with 1.7 bocks per game / Career-high 4 assists vs. Piedmont |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Jr. |
17.8 |
7.9 |
0.6 |
0.5* |
Career-high 28 points vs. S.C. State / 3rd in Big South for poitns per game (17.8) / Named to Cancun Challenge Mayan Division All-Tournament Team / career-high 14 rebounds at Auburn |
* (blocks per game)
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: 7-6
Series Streak: W2
Record at Timmons Arena: 3-5
Streak at Timmons Arena: L1
Prosser vs. Furman: 1-6
THE MATCHUP
- Eagles and Paladins meet for the sixth time in the last seven seasons
- Winthrop holds a slight edge in the all-time series with a 7-6 lead after last year's 85-80 home win
- Seven of the last eight meetings have gone to the Eagles, three of which were decided by a single point
WINTHROP
- Looking for back-to-back wins after its home win over S.C. State on Tuesday
- This is the first of four straight road games, with the road swing ending in Spartanburg, S.C. for the Eagles Big South Opener at USC Upstate on Dec. 29
- In the last five games the Eagles are shooting 53 percent from the floor while holding opponents to 42 percent
- Kelton Talford leads the team in scoring (17.8) and rebounding (7.9)
- Talford is 1-of-4 Eagles scoring in double-figures as Sin'Cere McMahon is second with 15.1 ppg, Cory Hightower is third at 13.0 ppg and Toneari Lane is the 4th at 12.2 ppg
- Talford is 3rd in the league in scoring, McMahon is 8th, Hightower 11th and Lane is 12th
- Eagles are the only league school with four players among the Top 15 scorers in the conference (High Point has three)
- Talford leads the Big South in field goal percentage and 3rd in the nation (.756)
- He also ranks among the top rebounders in the league, ranking 2nd with 7.9 per game
- McMahon is 3rd in the Big South in free throw percentage (.870), third in three-point field goal percentage (.464) and 4th in threes per game (2.7)
- Lane tops the league in three-point field goal percentage at .469 and 2nd in three-point field goals with 3.0 per game
- Lane is 25th nationally in three-point field goal percentage and 39th in three-point field goals per game
- Coming off a 23-9 campaign that saw the team reach the Big South Title game for a third straight season before falling to Longwood
- Have won 23 or more games in three straight seasons
- Return five players that saw action in 2021-22, two that sat out and welcome eight newcomers
- Voted to finish second in the Big South Conference preseason poll
- Finished the 2021-22 season ranked 14th in bench scoring (28.6 ppg)
- Cory Hightower was voted to the preseason All-Big South First Team
- Hightower is the top returning scorer at 11.8 ppg and led the team with 5.5 rpg last season
- Kelton Talford is the second-leading scorer returning at 8.5 ppg and was second on the team in rebounding at 4.8
- In the last four seasons the Eagles are a combined 74-23 (.760)
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (208) since the 2012-13 season
- Mark Prosser starts his second season as head coach of the Eagles, the 7th head coach in program history
- Led the team to 23 wins, the most by a first-year head coach in program history
- Prosser tied Towson State's Terry Traux (1992-93) for the most conference wins by a first-year coach with 14
TUNE IN TO THE EAGLES
Fans can listen to the games all season long on OTS Media of Rock Hill (94.3 FM), which is the flagship station for Winthrop Athletics. In addition, most games will simulcast on 730 ESPN Charlotte and AM 1450 WGNC Gastonia.
All home games as well as all Big South games home or away are available to watch through the Big South Network on ESPN+. To watch live Big South games on ESPN+, you need a subscriber. For more information how to subscribe,
click here.
UP NEXT
Winthrop will get the week off as it wraps-up final exams and will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 17 as it travels to Baton Rouge, La. to face off against LSU at 4 p.m.
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop men's basketball program, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@Winthrop_MBB), Instagram (@Winthrop_MBB) and Facebook (/WinthropEagles).
