Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop men's basketball is set to host High Point Saturday afternoon as the regular season comes to a close.
WINTHROP (14-16, 9-8 Big South)
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
0 |
Sin'Cere McMahon |
6-1 |
Jr. |
13.7 |
1.9 |
2.3 |
0.6 |
Posted a career-high 35 points at UNC Asheville (Feb. 8) / In double-figures last five games / Leads Big South in free throw percentage (.901) / Returned to the starting lineup at Campbell and scored 23 points / 125 career threes (103 at Winthrop) |
| G |
11 |
Kasen Harrison |
6-2 |
Jr.. |
11.1 |
2.3 |
3.9 |
1.3 |
Tied career-high 24 points in win over Campbell (Feb. 22) / Game-winning bucket with 1.3 seconds left vs. Longwood / game-winner with 7.3 seconds left vs. UNCA / Double-figures in 16 of last 20 games / Reached 250 career assists (255) |
| G/F |
12 |
Cory Hightower |
6-7 |
R-Sr. |
13.4 |
5.6 |
2.5 |
0.8 |
14.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg over the last five games / Scored season-high 25 points at LSU / Knocked down career-high 7 triples at LSU / Preseason All-Big South 1st Team / 1,719 career points, 843 career rebounds / reached 150 career threes in the game at High Point |
| F |
33 |
Chase Claxton |
6-7 |
Sr. |
5.1 |
4.3 |
1.1 |
1.3 |
Played 100th career game vs. PC / Leads team with 32 steals and 35 blocks / 5th in Big South with 1.3 blocks per game |
| F |
4 |
Kelton Talford |
6-7 |
Jr. |
16.1 |
8.0 |
0.7 |
0.7* |
Has 20 or more points in three of the last four games / 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: 36-16
Series Streak: L1
Record at Winthrop Coliseum: 17-5
Streak at Winthrop Coliseum: W4
Prosser vs. High Point: 1-3
THE MATCHUP
- The Eagles and Panthers meet for the second time this season and 53rd all-time
- High Point won the first meeting 71-66, but the Eagles have won nine of the last 11 meetings
- The last time the Eagles hosted High Point was the 2021 Big South Conference quarterfinals as the Eagles won 83-54
- Both teams enter the contest having won three in a row
WINTHROP
- Prior to the game, the Eagles will hold a ceremony to honor its senior class of Michael Anumba, Cory Hightower, Chase Claxton, Cam Whiteside and manager Isaac Hennigan
- Riding a three-game winning streak as the Eagles eye a chance to grab the 5th seed for the Big South Conference Championship next week
- If the Eagles can garner their fourth straight win and USC Upstate loses at Gardner-Webb then Winthrop will be seeded 5th
- Lead the Big South in free throw percentage (.747) and lead the league in three-point field goals per game (8.9)
- Kelton Talford, leads the team in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (8.0)
- Talford is 1-of-5 Eagles scoring double-figures as he is joined by Sin'Cere McMahon (13.7), Cory Hightower (13.4), Kasen Harrison (11.1), and Toneari Lane (10.5)
- Talford is 4th in the league in scoring, McMahon is 10th, Hightower is 12th, Harrison is 18th and Lane is 26th
- Earlyer this month McMahon 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
- McMahon is averaging 19.4 ppg over the last five games
- Talford leads the Big South in field goal percentage and 5th in the nation (.685)
- Talford is averaging 20.3 ppg over his last four games
- McMahon leads the Big South in free throw percentage (.901), ranking T10th nationally
- Toneari Lane and McMahon are among the league leaders in three-point field goals per game as Lane is ranked 3rd and McMahon 4th
- Harrison ranks 2nd in the league in assists per game and 9th 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 84-35 (.700)
- Winthrop has more wins than any other Big South school (223) 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 (1,719) and closing in on 850 career rebounds (843)
- In 122 career Big South games he has scored 1,436 points and has 726 rebounds
- As of Feb. 24 he's 56th on the active list for points and 34th in rebounds
- His 1,436 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 113 (has 170 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
- Kasen Harrison
- Reached 250 career assists (255) and nearing 800 career points (799)
- Kelton Talford
- Is now 31 away from 500 career rebounds and passed 800 career points (858)
- 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 (125) and 103 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
Following the game with High Point the Eagles will await the announcement of the Big South Conference Championship seeds. The announcement will be made Saturday evening.
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)
