Rock Hill, S.C. –Winthrop's three-game win streak came to an end as the Eagles fell to UNC Asheville at home by a final score of 65-59 on Wednesday afternoon.
Winthrop (6-17, 4-8 Big South) | UNC Asheville (9-15, 5-8 Big South)
Feb. 8, 2023 | Winthrop Coliseum
Winthrop 59, UNC Asheville 65
How it Happened
First Quarter | Down 5-0 in the early going,
Paige Powell scored and was fouled to get Winthrop on the board. Powell would hit the ensuing free throw to make it 5-3 Bulldogs at the 8:16 mark. After a UNCA score,
Shamyjha Price hit one from downtown to cut it to one a few plays later. The visitors would then respond with five quick points but Price scored on a jumper to cut the lead to four and after UNCA made two free throws,
Jada Ryce scored to cut it four once again at the 4:52 mark. UNCA would hold the Eagles scoreless for nearly three minutes as they scored five straight points. Powell then concluded the scoring for the frame with a jumper to make it 19-12 Bulldogs at the 1:10 mark.
Second Quarter | Winthrop started the second quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 24-23 lead with 6:11 left, forcing UNCA to call a timeout. Ryce's triple capped the run. Winthrop kept it going after the stoppage of play by scoring eight of the next ten points, with two layups by Powell and a jumper by Ryce for a 30-25 lead with 2:52 remaining. The visitors answered with a three-pointer but
Frances Brown hit a free throw to make it a three-point Eagle lead at the half, 31-28.
Third Quarter | The visitors started the second half with three free throws and a layup to lead by two at 33-31 as the Eagles failed to score for nearly the first four minutes. Brown's three-pointer put Winthrop back in the lead at the 6:42 mark. The Bulldogs tied it again with a free throw but Ryce gave Winthrop a 36-34 lead on a layup. UNCA would then surge ahead with a 13-3 run to go up 47-39 lead as the Eagles failed to hit a field goal for nearly five minutes.
Tori Hall finally ended the drought with a layup to cut the lead to six with 1:30 left. UNCA would get one more score to go back up eight but Powell ended the quarter with three free throws to make it a five-point deficit at 49-44.
Fourth Quarter | Powell started the fourth with an and-one to make it a one-possession game at 49-47. But the Bulldogs answered with seven straight points to go up nine before
Leonor Paisana, Powell and Ryce scored to cut it to three with 4:39 left. Ryce scored on an old-fashioned three-point play and forced the Bulldogs to call for time. The ensuing free throw made it a two-point game. Powell then tied it at 56 a minute later on a layup. During the Winthrop rally, UNCA failed to score for more than four minutes until they were fouled on a layup with nearly three minutes left, giving them the lead for good at 58-56. The Bulldogs then tacked on another score and a free throw to go up 61-56 inside of a minute. Ryce scored on a layup to cut it to three with 34 seconds to go but the visitors then connected with two more at the charity stripe to go back up five. Now in a desperation situation, Ryce only connected on one of two free throws to make it 63-59 with 25 seconds left. The Bulldogs sealed it with two more at the foul line, ending Winthrop's three-game win streak 65-59.
Statistical Standouts (Team)
- Winthrop outscored the Bulldogs in the paint, 26-22
- Winthrop held UNCA to 26.67% from the field in the second quarter
- Winthrop shot 66.67% from the field in the second quarter
- Winthrop hit nearly fifty percent from the field for the game
- Winthrop outshot UNCA from the field, 48.9% to 37.3%
- Winthrop fought UNCA to a tie in rebounding, 33-33
- Three Winthrop players played more than 30 minutes, attempted more than 10 shots and scored in double figures
- Powell currently has career single-season highs in scoring average, rebounding average, steals, blocks
- Powell had her second 20-point game on the season and a season-high in points, FG made,
- Price now has more than 700 points in her career (706)
- Price currently has career season-highs in scoring average, steals, free throws made
- Ryce's 42 steals is currently the most in a single-season by an Eagle since 2018-19 when Anika Riley had 46 – before that it was Erica Williams with 48 (2016-17) and Danyael Goodhope with 52 (2016-17)
- Ryce had a season-high in rebounds and her first double-double on the season
Statistical Standouts (Individual)
Jada Ryce (37 min, 6-12 FG, 11 rebounds, 15 pts)
Shamyjha Price (36 min, 2 rebounds, 13 pts)
Paige Powell (35 min, 9-11 FG, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 23 pts)
Up Next
Winthrop travels to USC Upstate for a 4:00 p.m. tip on Saturday. Winthrop will then return home to face Upstate the next day at 2:00 p.m. in a game that was originally scheduled to be played on Dec. 29 in Rock Hill as Winthrop's conference opener but was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Eagle program.
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