Rock Hill, S.C. – Heading into the final week of the regular season, Winthrop will host its final two contests beginning with Campbell on Wednesday night.
WINTHROP (13-16, 8-8 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
0 |
Sin'Cere McMahon |
6-1 |
Jr. |
13.4 |
1.9 |
2.3 |
0.6 |
Posted a career-high 35 points at UNC Asheville (Feb. 8) / In double-figures last four games / Leads Big South in free throw percentage (.891) / Returned to the starting lineup at Campbell and scored 23 points / 124 career threes (102 at Winthrop) |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Jr.. |
10.6 |
2.4 |
3.8 |
1.3 |
Game-winning bucket with 1.3 seconds left vs. Longwood / game-winner with 7.3 seconds left vs. UNCA / Double-figures in 15 of last 19 games / Reached 250 career assists (250) |
| G/F |
12 |
Cory Hightower |
6-7 |
R-Sr. |
13.5 |
5.8 |
2.5 |
0.8 |
Averaging 16.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg over the last three games / Scored season-high 25 points at LSU / Knocked down career-high 7 triples at LSU / Preseason All-Big South 1st Team / 1,710 career points, 841 career rebounds / reached 150 career threes in the game at High Point |
| F |
33 |
Chase Claxton |
6-7 |
Sr. |
5.0 |
4.4 |
1.1 |
1.3 |
Played 100th career game vs. PC / Leads team with 32 steals and 33 blocks / 5th in Big South with 1.3 blocks per game |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Jr. |
16.0 |
7.9 |
0.7 |
0.7* |
Has 20 or more points in three straight games (21.0 ppg in that span) / Missed game vs. USC Upstate,/ 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: 26-21
Series Streak: W9
Record at Winthrop Coliseum: 16-7
Streak at Winthrop Coliseum: W8
Prosser vs. Campbell: 2-0
THE MATCHUP
- The Eagles and Camels meet for the second time this season and 48th time overall
- Eagles won the first meeting 78-74 in Buies Creek, N.C.
- Winthrop has won nine straight in the series and eight straight at home against the Camels
- Winthrop is fourth in the Big South in scoring while Campbell is fourth in the league in scoring defense
WINTHROP
- Have won back-to-back road games and sitting in a three-way tie for 5th in the conference standings
- The Eagles just finished a five-game stretch playing four games on the road
- Lead the Big South in free throw percentage (.742) and lead the league in three-point field goals per game (8.8)
- Kelton Talford, who missed the game at home against USC Upstate, has hit the 20-point mark in three straight games and leads the team in scoring (16.0)
- Talford is 1-of-5 Eagles scoring double-figures as he is joined by Cory Hightower (13.5), Sin'Cere McMahon (13.4), Kasen Harrison (10.6), and Toneari Lane (10.5)
- Talford is 4th in the league in scoring, Hightower is 9th, McMahon is 11th, Harrison is 24th and Lane is 26th
- McMahon recently posted a career-high 35 points in the loss at UNC Asheville (Feb. 8), the most points by an Eagle in a conference road game since Nych Smith had 35 at Presbyterian on Jan. 26, 2019
- Talford leads the Big South in field goal percentage and 5th in the nation (.679)
- He also ranks among the top rebounders in the league, ranking 2nd with 7.9 per game
- McMahon leads the Big South in free throw percentage (.891), ranking T18th nationally
- McMahon has taken the lead on the team for threes per game (2.3) and ranks 4th in the Big South
- Lane is fourth in the league in threes per game (2.2)
- Harrison ranks 2nd in the league in assists per game and tied for 8th with teammate Chase Claxton in steals 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 83-35 (.700)
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (222) 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
- Reached 1,700 career points (1,710) and closing in on 850 career rebounds (841)
- In 121 career Big South games he has scored 1,427 points and has 724 rebounds
- As of Feb. 20 he's 56th on the active list for points and 34th in rebounds
- His 1,427 points are tied for 64th on the Big South All-Time scoring list
- He's 1-of-45 players in league history with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds
- Became the 34th player in league history to reach 700 career rebounds
- Became the 19th player in league history to reach 1,300 points, 700 rebounds
- Became 1-of-18 players in league history with 1,400 points, 700 rebounds
- Became the 26th player in program history with 100 career threes and ranks 22nd with 112 (has 169 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
- Reached 400 career rebounds in the game at High Point
- Set single-season career-highs in assists, blocks and steals
- Averaging a career-best 4.4 rpg
- Kasen Harrison
- Reached 250 career assists (250) and nearing 800 career points (775)
- Kelton Talford
- Pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds to surpass 400 career rebounds and approaching 800 career points (801)
- Scored 20 or more points in three straight games for the first time in his career
- Sin'Cere McMahon
- Surpassed 100 career three-point baskets (124) and 102 of those have come as an Eagle
- Became the 27th player in program history with 100 or more threes in a single-season
- Scored career-high 35 points at UNC Asheville, the 4th most by an Eagle in a conference road game
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 wrap-up the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25 with a home contest against High Point at 2 p.m. Prior to tip-off there will be a senior recognition.
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)
