Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop looks to get back in the win column Wednesday night as it hosts Radford for a Big South Conference midweek clash.
WINTHROP (7-10, 2-2 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
5 |
Howard Fleming Jr. |
6-5 |
Jr. |
4.7 |
3.3 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
Started last 3 games / season-high 16 points vs. PC / knocked down career-high five threes vs. PC |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Jr.. |
10.2 |
2.6 |
3.3 |
1.4 |
Game-winning bucket with 7.3 seconds left vs. UNCA / Double-figures the last 7 games / Scored season-high 17 points at Furman |
| G/F |
12 |
Cory Hightower |
6-7 |
R-Sr. |
13.8 |
5.0 |
3.1 |
0.6 |
Scored season-high 25 points at LSU / Knocked down career-high 7 triples at LSU / Preseason All-Big South 1st Team / 1,566 career points, 765 career rebounds |
| F |
33 |
Chase Claxton |
6-7 |
Sr. |
5.6 |
4.3 |
1.1 |
1.6 |
Played 100th career game vs. PC / Leads team with 22 steals and 20 blocks / 4th in Big South with 1.6 blocks per game |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Jr. |
16.9 |
7.8 |
0.6 |
0.7* |
4th 20-point game on the season vs. PC / Scored 23 points in the loss at LSU / Career-high 28 points vs. S.C. State / Named to Cancun Challenge Mayan Division All-Tournament Team / Big South Player of the Week (Dec. 12) |
* (blocks per game)
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: 40-41
Series Streak: W1
Record at Winthrop Coliseum: 19-17
Streak at Winthrop Coliseum: W1
Prosser vs. Radford: 1-0
THE MATCHUP
- Eagles and Highlanders meet for the 83rd time
- Radford holds a 41-40 edge in the all-time series (Radford's win on 2/1/2011 was vacated)
- Eagles won the last matchup, 58-48 at home on Feb. 9, 2022
- The Highlanders had won the previous three visits to the Winthrop Coliseum
WINTHROP
- Coming off a road loss at Longwood but have won 10 straight regular season conference home games and 13 straight home win versus a league opponent
- After its last home win over PC, Winthrop has won 32 of the last 34 its played at the Winthrop Coliseum
- The first league win came against UNC Asheville as the Eagles rallied from a 15 point deficit
- It was the largest deficit in a win since trailing by 15 against Mercer on Nov. 13, 2021 in an overtime win over Mercer
- Sitting 3rd in the Big South in free throw percentage (.739) and 1st in three-point field goals per game (8.6)
- Kelton Talford leads the team in scoring (16.9) and rebounding (7.8)
- Talford is 1-of-4 Eagles scoring in double-figures as Cory Hightower is second with 13.8 ppg, Sin'Cere McMahon is averaging 12.3 ppg, Kasen Harrison is at 10.2 ppg and Tonear Lane is scoring 10.0 ppg
- Talford is 3rd in the league in scoring, Hightower 8th, McMahon is 13th, Harrison 24th and Lane 26th
- Winthrop and High Point are the only Big South schools with three players in the Top 13 in scoring
- Talford leads the Big South in field goal percentage and 3rd in the nation (.723)
- He also ranks among the top rebounders in the league, ranking 2nd with 7.8 per game
- McMahon is 3rd in the Big South in free throw percentage (.855) and 6th in threes per game (2.2)
- Toneari Lane ranks 4th in three-point field goals with 2.5 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 77-29 (.726)
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (216) 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
CAREER MILESTONES
- Cory Hightower
- Has over 1,500 career points (1,566) and over 750 rebounds (765)
- In 110 career Big South games he has scored 1,303 points and has 648 rebounds
- As of Jan. 10 he's 56th on the active list for points and 35th in rebounds
- His 1,284 points rank 81st on the Big South All-Time scoring list
- He's 1-of-45 players in league history with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds
- If he reaches 700 career rebounds in the Big South he'll become the 34th player to do so in league history
- He is 12 three-point baskets away from becoming the 26th player in program history with 100 career threes (has 145 in his entire career)
- Just the second player in league history to score 500 or more points for two different league schools
- Chase Claxton
- Played in his 100th of his career with his start against PC
- Approaching 400 career rebounds (385)
- Kasen Harrison
- Is three assists away from 200 in his career and recently passed 600 points (642)
- Kelton Talford
- Sitting 32 rebounds shy of 400 in his career and now 24 points away from 700
BIG SOUTH WEEKLY HONORS
- Kelton Talford – Big South Player of the Week (Dec. 12)
- Averaged 23.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 apg and 1.0 spg in two games
- He posted a career-high 28 points in the win over S.C. State and then scored a team-high 19 points at Furman
- For the two games he shot 77 percent from the floor
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 hit the road for its next two games beginning with a trip to Buies Creek, N.C. on Saturday, Jan. 14 to take on Campbell at 2 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).
