Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop got their 10
th win of the season by sweeping the regular-season series from UNC Asheville, beating the Bulldogs at home by a final score of 65-56 on Saturday afternoon.
Winthrop (10-12, 4-5 Big South) | UNC Asheville (9-13, 3-6 Big South)
Feb. 3, 2024 | Winthrop Coliseum
Winthrop 65, UNC Asheville 56
How it Happened
First Quarter | More than halfway through the frame, Winthrop had burst out to an eight-point lead, going up 14-6 at the 4:50 mark.
Jada Ryce accounted for five of the early 14 Eagle points, including a three-pointer nearly two minutes in. Ryce would then hit another triple with a minute remaining to give Winthrop their largest lead of the quarter at 21-10. The Eagles would lead 21-11 after 10 minutes of play.
Second Quarter | Winthrop largely maintained a lead of 8-11 points for nearly the entirety of the quarter. Each team also scored two field goals in the first three minutes, including a three-pointer by
Nyah Stallings at the 7:28 mark. Her triple put Winthrop ahead 26-15 but the Eagles then failed to make a field goal for seven minutes.
Marissa Gasaway's layup just before the half put Winthrop up 31-22 going to the locker room.
Third Quarter | Winthrop led 37-27 with five minutes left as both teams could only muster a combined four field goals and 11 points. Paisana's two free throws gave Winthrop a 12-point lead with 4:38 remaining and continued to remain ahead near that margin for more than two minutes. With the Eagles ahead by six at 41-35 with nearly a minute to go, consecutive three-point baskets by
Elli Garnett put Winthrop up 10 at 47-37 going into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter | UNC Asheville scored 15 of the first 23 points of the fourth quarter in a nearly seven-minute time span. Their run cut the Eagle lead to 55-54 with 3:25 left. But a huge shot from downtown by
Ronaltha Marc on the next play at the 2:54 mark snuffed out any hopes of a comeback by the visiting Bulldogs. Winthrop then hit their free throws down the stretch to cement the victory.
Statistical Standouts (Team)
- Winthrop moves to 608-903 all-time as a program.
- Winthrop moves to 207-372 in Big South regular-season games.
- Winthrop moves to 349-226 all-time at home.
- Winthrop has scored 50 or more points in the last six games.
- Winthrop has grabbed more than 30 rebounds in the last five games.
- Leonor Paisana is currently ninth in school history in career triples made (88).
- Winthrop has won 10 or more games since the 2019-20 season.
- Winthrop sweeps the Bulldogs for the first time since 2015.
- Winthrop led the entire way.
- Winthrop shot 37% from the field, including 57% in the first quarter.
- Winthrop shot 88% from the free throw line.
- Winthrop outrebounded the Bulldogs, 42-29.
- Four Eagles played more than 30 minutes.
- Three Eagles scored 10 or more points.
- Gasaway recorded a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds.
- This was her fifth double-double game on the season.
- This was her 11th double-figure rebounding game on the season.
- This was her seventh double-figure scoring game on the season.
- This was Marc's 11th double figure game in points on the season.
- This was Ryce's 12th double-figure game in points on the season.
- Garnett had a career-high in rebounds with eight.
Statistical Standouts (Individual)
Jada Ryce (34 min, 6-6 FT, 18 pts)
Ronaltha Marc (35 min, 6-12 FG, 13 pts)
Marissa Gasaway (37 min, 15 rebounds, 10 pts)
Up Next
Winthrop plays Charleston Southern for the second time this season on Wednesday, Feb. 7, traveling to Charleston for a 6 p.m. tip-off with the Buccaneers on ESPN+.
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