Longwood builds its foundation on love

 

Longwood coach Ronnie Thomas teaches his Lancers during a break.  (Photo:  Longwood Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – College basketball is often a transactional place. The portal opens, coaches move, and new relationships form just as quickly as the old one ended.

It felt even more jarring than usual, then, to see two grown men – a player and his coach – sitting at a post-game press podium in tears. The tears were real. The relationship is real.

Longwood forward Elijah Tucker makes no secret that he is at Longwood because of Ronnie Thomas. Ronnie recruited him. Ronnie cared for him when he was injured. Tucker stayed at Longwood after a brief flirtation with the portal because of Thomas.

Knowing this makes the hurt now – and the relationship forever – mean more to coach and player.

Thomas is in his first year as the Longwood leader, having learned from a series of great mentors at the Division III and Division I levels. That Thomas is near his players in age is not the only secret to his connection with them. Every tear tells that story.

“(Longwood) has meant a lot to me,” Tucker said. “Longwood changed me in a lot of ways – especially Ronnie. He cares a lot about his players.”

Tucker then paused to collect himself.

“I remember two years ago, I got hurt at the Big South tournament. He’s the one – he and our athletic trainer – who stayed with me that whole night in that hospital. He never left my side until that next morning when he had to go for that championship game.”

“Honestly, words can’t explain it. He just means a whole lot. He’s the reason I came back. He’s the reason I wanted to bring a championship to Longwood. Even though we didn’t do that, it’s still the best decision I’ve ever made. I wouldn’t change that for anything. I would always come back to Longwood.”

Thomas took in every word. He stared ahead as tears left his eyes, seemingly both taking in the verbal flowers from his star and trying to compose himself.

Tucker hurt himself again midway through the Lancers’ quarterfinal, overtime loss to Asheville, crumpling to the floor with a leg injury. The senior star returned to the bench to cheer on his team, though he was unable to continue.

Thomas also took some time to reflect on his inner relationship after the game. The Lancers grew under his tutelage both on and off the floor.

“I don’t know if (my first year) taught me as much as it just finally gave me a platform to love and give these guys a lot of care,” Thomas said. “(Tucker) and (guard Emanuel Richards) I’ve been with for three years. I recruited them both. Just to be on a platform and put them both in a program that – (they know) how much I love them every day and care for them. Even in the wins and losses – sometimes I want to wring their neck, if I’m being honest. (I learned) to understand – to be the same person, because then I can challenge them to be the same person. (I just appreciate) having the platform to be that example for them.”

Thomas continued, mentioning Tucker’s final game in the process.

“The hardest things are the losses,” Thomas said. “It’s not because of how competitive I am or what I want. It’s more so because I just want it for them. I don’t want (Tucker) to go out the way it went.”

The connection within the Lancer program extends to the community that surrounds it. Farmville is a small, tight-knit Virginia town that embraces its teams. In turn, it embraces the young coach.

“For the community in Farmville – (we were) second (in the league) in attendance, and they come out every night and give us a lot of support. President (Taylor) Reveley and (athletic director) Tim (Hall) – they’re awesome. I just want everyone to enjoy it, because I know what winning does for our town and what winning does for these guys.”

“I know the lessons they took from this year will help them win beyond basketball. In this era, whether it’s one year or three years, the love will last forever, no matter how long it is.”

There are already championship banners hanging in Longwood’s architectural marvel, the Joan Perry Brock Center. For anyone who wonders if another may ever join them, they can simply ask the star Lancer forward.

“I just appreciate (Thomas) bringing me here and keeping me along with the team,” Tucker said. “Longwood has a great future ahead of them with a coach like Ronnie. He does it all. He cares about his players. He does everything he can. This won’t be the last of Longwood bringing a championship to the Big South. They’re going to get it.”

If there were any doubt on Tucker’s endorsement, he erased it with his final statement.

“I just say (to) trust the process. Coach Ronnie Thomas is the guy. He’s going to get it done.”

Winthrop runs win streak to 10 with physical victory over Longwood

 

Winthrop guard Kody Clouet finished with 14, including the eventual game-winning shot against Longwood Saturday.  (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Winthrop-Longwood rivalry is one of the best – if not the best – in the Big South. The Eagles and Lancers have seemingly taken up permanent residence as Big South contenders, and most games between them are hard-fought affairs that defy words.

Perhaps we’ll use Winthrop assistant Sid Crist’s word for Saturday’s tilt:  “Donnybrook.”

However you classify it, the Lancers and Eagles partook in another 15-round heavyweight bout Saturday, with the Eagles landing the final blow. Winthrop sent an announced crowd of 2,041 happy with a 79-74 decision in a game marred – or enhanced, depending on your perspective – by fouls. The win marked the tenth in a row by the Eagles, who have still not lost a game in 2026.

“It’s hard – that game (Longwood defeated Winthrop at the Joan Perry Brock Center to start conference play) was so long ago. We’re both totally different teams,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game. “I’m not very smart, so I can only operate in the moment.”

“Our kids don’t blink. They didn’t blink again (today).”

Winthrop (18-8, 10-1 Big South) surged out of the gate with back-to-back buckets from Tommy Kamarad, giving the Eagles an early lead they would hold for the first six minutes. Longwood (13-13, 5-6) clawed its way back, earning a 7-6 lead on a Fats Billups jumper at the 13:58 mark. Winthrop clutched back the advantage two minutes later but could not separate by any greater than two possessions.

The Lancers had whittled the deficit to one at the 4:15 mark, but a dust-up at the free throw line resulted in a potentially game-changing call. Billups, who had been whistled for a technical earlier in the game, was assessed a second technical following the interaction with Winthrop’s Kody Clouet. Billups was ejected from the game due to the pair of technicals.

“(On) the second one, Clouet bumped him and he bumped him back with a forearm, so it should have been a double technical. The first one is the one I probably have a bit more of an issue with,” Longwood coach Ronnie Thomas said after the game. Thomas was told that Billups had said an expletive out loud – not toward an official, but randomly – which led to the first technical.

“That was just a little frustrating that early in the game, and that’s just  – it’s hard to stomach. I think you can just talk to the young man. He could have just talked to him. We lose Fats, who was 2-for-4 in the first half and playing well. A guy like Fats, he thrives in a game like this. To have him – again, we lose him off the first call – that’s just a really, really bad call by (referee) Bobby (Lineberger). It was an awful call for him to make that call. With the type of game it became and the type of game this always is – that was a really early tech, and that affected the game.”

Following Billups’ departure, Winthrop threw a figurative haymaker, going on a 7-0 burst that gave the Eagles their biggest first-half advantage. Longwood punched back, using a 7-0 run of its own to again knife it to one before Winthrop took a three-point halftime lead off two Logan Duncomb free throws.

The Lancers snagged a four-point lead on the strength of a 9-0 run to start the second half, only for Winthrop to answer right back and go back ahead on a pair of triples from Josh Meo and Kody Clouet. The slugfest continued through the second half, with neither side able to lead by greater than four over much of the remainder of the game.

The lead seemingly changed on every possession for much of the final five minutes, as Winthrop countered every Longwood advantage – and vice versa. Four minutes elapsed inside the final five in which neither side led by greater than two. Winthrop then turned to one of its season-long heroes to finally break the tension.

Following an offensive foul assessed to Elijah Tucker – his fifth – on the opposing end, Winthrop allowed as much time to elapse as it could in a tied game at 71. As the clock oozed under a minute, the Eagles sprayed to the corner, where a wide-open Clouet awaited. Clouet locked in his sights and canned the triple, giving the Eagles the lead they would not again surrender.

“I don’t want to get in trouble, but it was kind of like a football game out there,” Clouet said. “It was physical. That’s how they play. We just stuck with it, took punches, took hits, and found a way to win.”

“They got us in the first game of league (play). They set the tone for us. They showed us where we were weak and what we needed to work on. Since then, we’ve responded incredibly. We definitely wanted this one back and we got it, so that was big.”

Winthrop shot 19-for-50 (38 percent) from the deck on the day, managing just 6-of-28 (21.4 percent) from three. The Eagles matched the percentage from distance they recorded in the first game in Farmville.

“I thought we did really well,” Thomas said when queried about his team’s perimeter defense. “We had a really big mistake. We should have given up a Duncomb dunk. We never wanted to give up that three with Clouet. We’ve got to grow from it.”

The Eagles hit 35-of-40 from the line on the day (87.5 percent), collecting their second-highest free throw attempts number in a game this season behind the 43 they were awarded at North Dakota. The 35 makes were a season-best.

Tommy Kamarad led the Eagles and all scorers with 15, capitalizing off a strong early start. Clouet and Duncomb added 14 apiece, hitting a combined 7-of-10 shots from the field and 11-for-13 from the line. Senior guard Josh Meo tallied 10 off the bench in 21 minutes of reserve duty.

“This is a selfless group,” Prosser said. “They are giving of themselves when it comes to stats. If they were in another program with a different roster, they may be getting more shots, assists, and different things on paper. They don’t really care. They just want to win.”

Longwood dropped 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field, with 6-for-25 (24 percent) of their three-point tries finding the net. The Lancers hit 22-of-35 from the line, with a number of misses late that affected the Lancers’ chances.

“I told them they can blame two people. They can blame themselves and me,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to figure out what we can do better and what we can do individually, and then they can blame me, but that’s it.”

Johan Nziemi led the Lancers with 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting, despite hitting just 6-of-12 from the stripe. Junior guard Jacoi Hutchinson booked 11 on 4-for-11 shooting and 3-for-4 from the line.

Winthrop hits the road Thursday night to take on regional rival Gardner-Webb. Tip time from Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, N.C., is set for 7:00 (Eastern), with coverage streaming on ESPN+. Longwood hosts UNC Asheville in the Joan Perry Brock Center in Farmville, Va., for the league’s ESPNU Wildcard Thursday game. The game is slated for a 7:00 start, with coverage over ESPNU.

WINTHROP 79, LONGWOOD 74

LONGWOOD (13-12, 5-6 BIG SOUTH)

Nziemi 3-7 6-12 13, Tucker 2-4 3-4 7, Hutchinson 4-11 3-4 11, Richards 1-7 5-6 7, Kelly 3-4 0-1 7, Jones 2-2 1-2 5, Billups 3-5 0-0 8, Benard 3-8 0-0 8, Thompson 2-11 4-6 8, Payne 0-0 0-0 0, Kalala 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-59 22-35 74.

WINTHROP (18-8, 10-1)

Kamarad 5-10 4-4 15, Duncomb 4-6 6-7 14, Wilson 2-8 5-6 9, Rozier 0-7 8-8 8 Clouet 3-4 5-6 14, Hendawy 0-3 0-0 0, Meo 2-5 4-5 10, Nnamoko 2-2 0-0 4, Boyogueno 1-2 3-4 5, Berry 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 35-40 79.

Halftime:  Winthrop 38-35. 3-Point goals:  Longwood 6-25 (Nziemi 1-1, Hutchinson 0-2, Richards 0-2, Kelly 1-2, Billups 2-4, Benard 2-7, Thompson 0-7), Winthrop 6-28 (Kamarad 1-3, Wilson 0-4, Rozier 0-7, Clouet 3-4, Hendawy 0-2, Meo 2-5, Boyogueno 0-1, Berry 0-2). Fouled out:  Tucker (LU).  Rebounds: Longwood 42 (Richards/Jones 7), Winthrop 35 (Clouet 7). Total fouls:  Longwood 32, Winthrop 27. Technicals:  Billups 2 (LU), Clouet (WU).

 

Inside the Numbers: Winthrop at Longwood

Longwood forward Elijah Tucker gets a dunk in Wednesday's 82-70 win over Winthrop.  (Photo:  Evan Woodall/Longwood Athletics)

 Follow @sportsmatters

FARMVILLE, Va. – Just hours before the ball was set to drop a few hours north of this Virginia town, the ball frequently dropped through the net for Longwood to close out 2025 with a big win over its rival.

Longwood shot 51.7 percent from the floor and limited Winthrop to just over 32 percent from the field and 20 percent from three, giving the Lancers an 82-70 win over the Eagles in the Big South lid-lifter at the Joan Perry Brock Center.

You know what happened – now let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• Winthrop center Logan Duncomb logged his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 31 points and boarding 13 misses. Duncomb missed just four times in 16 tries from the field and four more times in 11 free throw attempts, serving as the focal point of the Winthrop offense.

“We knew Duncomb was their leading scorer and he was going to get his,” Longwood forward Elijah Tucker said. We really just didn’t want them to make threes. We were closing out and trying to run them off the three-point line as best we could.”

Winthrop shot 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) from three.

“That guy (Duncomb) can score 30 and (grab) 20 (rebounds), but I don’t know if he’ll beat us unless they’re making threes,” Longwood coach Ronnie Thomas said after the game. “We actually lost (the ability to defend the gaps) a little bit late. I thought he got in (the paint) and we went down there and tried to double when we shouldn’t have, and we gave up two of their (kick-out) threes. I thought we did a good job of making him work for (his point total).”

• Along a similar line, the stat of the day came from the Winthrop side.

All of the Winthrop shooters not named Logan Duncomb combined to shoot 17.4 percent (8-for-46). Guards Daylen Berry and Kareem Rozier shot a combined 4-for-23 – also 17.4 percent – and 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Winthrop made just eight field goals in the first half.

“That’s not going to get it done anywhere,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game. “We have to show the ability to listen, to pay attention, and to carry over. They’re a team that floods to help. We can’t go to the paint and play off one foot and then shoot a reach-out layup at the rim. It’s a drop-off game. It’s a spray game. You get better looks that way.”

“We didn’t carry over the things that we talked about, and they did a good job of taking advantage of mismatches. It’s not as though we didn’t know that was coming. We didn’t handle it well.”

• Longwood got great energy – and 34 points – from its bench. Redd Thompson led the Lancers with 15 points in reserve duty, while guard Jaylen Benard had a dazzling bucket on a baseline lob after a timeout and a key three. Forward Elijah Jones also added seven boards and three blocks in 18 minutes of play.

“I think our depth is great,” Thomas said. “I think we’re 19th in the country in bench points. That’s not by any design – it’s just that those guys are working really hard. I trust all five of those guys. They’re special.”

• Winthrop showed signs of fatigue after a tough loss at Texas Tech Sunday afternoon. Prosser voiced his concern about that response.

“I’m really disappointed in the league, that this is the understanding that we represented our school and our league on national television on TNT for two hours on Sunday, and you’d hope that this would not be the first (Big South) game, but of course -- our kids, you know, maybe I don't know. It’s certainly not an excuse, but, you know, maybe that plays into being 5-for-24 from three, just a fatigue level, but it is what it We couldn't change it then. We can't change it now.”

“We’ve got to make sure we fix it. We better fix it quickly, because we’ve got to turn this thing around.”

• Longwood and Winthrop came into the game with identical 8-7 records after being picked to finish near each other in the Big South media preseason poll. How much does Longwood feel it is being slept on?

“I feel like we did it to ourselves, really,” Tucker said. “We were pretty inconsistent in non-conference play, and I think that’s what we’re trying to change. I feel like the start of this conference season by beating Winthrop in the first game and, you know, proving to everybody that we do play together and we do play hard -- the league should be on notice now.”

• The win was the first for Thomas as a head coach in Big South play. Tucker was almost happier for Thomas than the Lancer boss was for himself.

“I’m proud of Ronnie. Ronnie’s my guy,” Tucker said. “There’s no one I would rather play for. I love Coach Ronnie. He’s the one who got me here. He’s the one who believed in me. I’ll do anything for him.”

Thomas saw the significance of the win, and especially that it came against Winthrop.

“When I came into the league, Pat Kelsey was the (Winthrop) head coach, and (former guard) Chandler Vaudrin and those guys ran through the league,” Thomas said. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is the class of the Big South.’ Then Prosser took over for Kelsey and right away, they were 14-2 (in the league).”

“I think it’s always a test of who we are, and that’s what Winthrop’s been in the Big South. They’re great for our league. To come in and do (this) – especially the way they owned us last year when we got our tails kicked three times, and it wasn’t close and wasn’t pretty – it was a great test for us to see where we are and where we stand.”

• Prosser closed with some strong words for his team.

“It’s a long season, but we’ve got to start being the team that we thought we were,” Prosser said. “We have talented guys. I think that if you look across our guard play today, our starting guards – their numbers were atypical. We’ve just got to make sure we’re getting high-quality looks. We have to do a better job of touching the paint and making decisions.”

“Sometimes, the decision is you. Sometimes, that’s what the game tells you to do. The game tells you to finish. You’ve got to go finish.”

Duncomb’s 31 led all scorers. No other Eagles finished in double figures. Winthrop shot 32.3 percent (20-for-62) from the field and 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from distance. The Eagles knocked down 25-of-32 tries from the line (78.1 percent).

Tucker was one of four Lancers in doubles. Thompson led Longwood with 15 points off the bench on 5-for-10 shooting. Guard Jacoi Hutchinson added 14 on 5-for-9 from the field. Tucker and Benard added 12 apiece. Longwood shot 51.7 percent (30-for-58) from the field and 38.9 percent (7[of-18) from distance. The Lancers knocked down 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) from the stripe.

Next up:  Winthrop returns home to square off with Gardner-Webb at Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, S.C. Game time Saturday is set for 4:00 (Eastern), with coverage over ESPN+. Longwood travels to High Point’s Qubein Center to take on the defending champion Panthers. Tip time is 2:00, with streaming over ESPN+.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  Longwood 16, Winthrop 10

Points in the paint:  Longwood 44, Winthrop 30

Second-chance points:  Longwood 16, Winthrop 13

Fast-break points:  Longwood 6, Winthrop 2

Bench points:  Longwood 34, Winthrop 17

LONGWOOD 82, WINTHROP 70

WINTHROP (8-8)

Clouet 0-4 2-2 2, Kamarad 0-4 5-6 5, Rozier 3-11 0-0 8, Duncomb 12-16 7-11 31, Berry 1-12 5-5 7, Wilson 0-3 2-2 2, Nnamoko 0-1 0-2 0, Hendawy 1-4 4-4 6, Meo 2-4 0-0 6, Boyogueno 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 20-62 25-31 70.

LONGWOOD (9-7)

Nziemi 3-6 3-6 9, Hutchinson 5-9 4-4 14, Billups 2-4 1-2 7, Richards 3-4 0-0 6, Tucker 5-10 2-2 12, Payne 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 5-10 3-3 15, Jones 1-4 2-4 4, Benard 5-8 2-4 12, Kelly 1-3 0-0 3, Kalala 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 15-21 82.

Halftime:  Longwood 38-29. 3-Point goals:  Longwood 7-18 (Hutchinson 0-2, Billups 2-4, Richards 0-1, Thompson 2-5, Benard 2-4, Kelly 1-2), Winthrop 5-24 (Clouet 0-4, Kamarad 0-1, Rozier 2-6, Berry 0-5, Wilson 0-1, Hendawy 0-1, Meo 2-3, Boyogueno 1-3). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Longwood 41 (Nziemi/Tucker 9), Winthrop 35 (Duncomb 13). Total fouls:  Longwood 28, Winthrop 17. Technicals:  NA.

 

Winthrop continues its hot stretch, dispatches Longwood in Big South quarterfinals

Winthrop guard Kasen Harrison was one of two Eagles to notch a double-double in Friday's Big South quarterfinal win. (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics/Professional Photography Group)

Follow @sportsmatters

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Griff Aldrich is, without question, one of the top coaches in mid-major college basketball. He is also known to be a bit of a philosopher.

Aldrich’s Longwood team had just fallen, 88-79, to Winthrop in the quarterfinal round of the Big South tournament and he wanted to say some things about his Lancers and their season. What unfolded was a bit of a sermon on the state of college basketball.

More on that in a bit, though.

Winthrop built a gigantic lead early Friday night, then withstood a frenetic Longwood run in the second half. The win marked the Eagles’ ninth in their last ten contests.

“We count ourselves very fortunate to get the opportunity to play again. That’s a really good basketball team,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game. “Our upper-classmen really sort of guided us through that, including (guard Kasen Harrison and forward Kelton Talford). It’s a good group. They were locked in and ready to go.”

Prosser’s words were an understatement.

Longwood (18-14) started well enough, jumping out 8-4 early and leading by as many as five. The Eagles quickly – and decisively – dropped the hammer. Winthrop (22-10) unfurled an 11-0 burst that flipped the Lancer lead upside down and put the Eagles ahead by seven. The Lancers would bounce back with a 9-2 run of their own to level the contest at 17.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Kasen Harrison cashed a pair of triples. Bryce Baker hit one of his own. Nick Johnson added a couple baskets. KJ Doucet had a thunderous dunk and a three. Johnson and Baker hit a couple more buckets apiece.

When the dust settled, Winthrop had scored 24 of the final 31 points of the half. The Eagles had staggered the Lancers and taken a 45-24 lead to the interval.

“Tonight was obviously a frustrating night for us,” Aldrich said. “It was a little bit of a microcosm of our entire season. Our season has been full of stretches where we show that we can be a really good team, and then stretches of a lack of discipline, lack of playing with team focus, and a lack of effort. That’s something we’ve been working on all year.”

That inconsistency – while maddening in the first half – proved to be a bit more interesting in the second.

Winthrop seized a 24-point lead on the opening possession, then maintained a lead as high as 23 for the first seven minutes of the period. Longwood began to punch out of its corner a bit, scoring 12 of 16 points in a run of the half that snipped the deficit to 15. Another 7-0 burst later knifed the Winthrop lead to 10. As soon as Longwood worked the lead down to three possessions, though, star forward Kelton Talford took over. The Great Falls, S.C., native scored seven straight Eagle points to grow the lead back to 13. Longwood could never again draw closer than nine.

“It was just about being able to go out there and give that little ‘umph’ for my teammates,” Talford said. “You’ve just got to be ready when your name is called or when it’s your game. It’s just like they would do for me. Somebody else would pick up the slack. That’s what makes us so special. We’ve got nine guys who can get it done on any given night.”

“Every game tells its own story and every season tells its own story,” Prosser said. “I’m really proud of them. They have a next play mentality, and they had it again today. That’s a terrific team. They’re terrific this time of year. We knew it was going to be a battle. They did exactly what we knew they would do. That’s what good teams do. Our kids stuck together. There was no blinking in the face of adversity. They stuck together and made a lot of big plays down the stretch.”

After the game, Aldrich reflected a bit on the Lancers’ season and how things ended.

“It’s the job of a coach to recruit pieces and to put those pieces together. The reality is that I wasn’t able to do that this year. 18 wins is a good thing, but I think we always try to measure ourselves at Longwood by whether we reach our potential. This group – unfortunately – I don’t think it did reach its potential. That’s certainly on me and the staff. We just weren’t able to press the right buttons this year and get them to play the way that I believe they could have played.”

“It’s a hard part of coaching. It’s a hard part of sports. It’s almost like parenting. You see the potential in the group. We saw flashes – we even saw elongated stretches – but we were just never able to get that to gel. That’ll be a big disappointment – not only for me, but I think for everybody in our locker room for a while.”

Aldrich then commented on the state of college athletics.

“Whether your team is at the top or whether your team is struggling, you’re always trying to evaluate how the organization is working. Is the vibe right? Are there any gaps that we need to plug? I think one of the hard parts in the current state of college athletics is you’re trying to – at Longwood, we do want to transform. It’s harder to do that in the current environment. Some guys you only have for ten months, for eight months.”

“God bless the kids. With the transfer portal and the money, it’s hard to – the Big South is a great example. I don’t know how some of these kids can stay focused when they think, ‘Man, I could be making six figures next year if I’ – how can you be selfless in that moment? That’s a tall order. I don’t know many adults who can do that, much less 18-to-22-year-old kids.”

“College athletics is transforming. We have to transform with it. We never will sacrifice our values. We’ll never not be about trying to positively impact our guys. My hope is that, for these guys, they do learn. I don’t think anybody in that locker room thinks we met expectations. Hopefully, this is something they will learn from and it will be able to help them in a future season of their life.”

Five Winthrop scorers finished in double figures. Talford and Harrison both turned in double-doubles. Talford scored 16 points and snatched 10 boards. Harrison scored 15 and dished 11 of Winthrop’s 19 helpers. Doucet tallied 17, while Baker contributed 15 and Johnson 12. The Eagles shot 56.9 percent (29-for-51) from the deck, adding 13 triples on 31 tries (41.9 percent). Winthrop got to the line 32 times, but sank just 17 (53.1 percent).

Longwood booked three double-figure scorers. Guard Colby Garland registered 24 points, bolstered by a 13-for-14 performance from the line. Senior Michael Christmas missed a double-double by one rebound, scoring 15 points and boarding nine misses. Forward Elijah Tucker added 10 points and seven boards. The Lancers shot 36.1 percent (22-for-61) from the field and 25 percent (5-of-20) from beyond the arc. Longwood attempted a season-high 42 free throws, hitting 30 (71.4 percent).

Winthrop advances to Saturday’s second semifinal against Asheville. The teams split the season series, with the Eagles taking the most recent affair just a week ago. Winthrop turned away Asheville, 103-90, in that game.

“I don’t think anybody’s going to apologize for having to turn around and play tomorrow,” Prosser said. “We’ll do the proper preparation in the time we have. I’m sure they have the same familiarity with us that we have with them. It was a great college basketball game up there. It was a great college basketball game at our place. I’ve got a feeling it’ll be a great college basketball game again on Saturday.”

The third-seeded Eagles and second-seeded Bulldogs are set for a tip time of approximately 2:30 (Eastern) Saturday afternoon. ESPN+ will provide streaming coverage.

Winthrop bounces back, dominates Longwood in Saturday win

 

Winthrop freshman Paul Jones led four double-figit scorers with 24 in Saturday's Big South victory over Longwood. (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics/Professional Photography Group)

Follow @sportsmatters

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Longwood coach Griff Aldrich –understandably -- didn’t have much to say after Saturday’s Big South Conference game at Winthrop. What he did say, though, told the story.

“We got out-competed. We got out-toughed,” Aldrich said. “We had a group who just showed up, but didn’t show up to try to win the game. We were lethargic. Credit Winthrop. They came with energy and juice, and not only were we not trying to match it, we weren’t close.”

Winthrop controlled the contest wire-to-wire Saturday, leading by as many as 26 points in a dominant, 95-76 victory before an announced crowd of 2,004 at Winthrop Coliseum.

“I thought, as a collective, we were ready to go today,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “A lot of that comes from (guard) Kasen (Harrison), (forward Kelton Talford), (guard) Nick (Johnson), K.J. (Doucet), and those guys as leaders over the last couple of days. Our readiness and the things that we talked about pre-game or we talked about post-game (Wednesday, after a loss at Gardner-Webb) – we had a different look in our eyes today. They want to be special – all of them. They played with a different sense of desperation today. We competed, and that’s the biggest thing.”

Winthrop (12-7, 2-2 Big South) fittingly took the lead it would never relinquish on an early three by the player who would dominate the first half. Freshman Paul Jones splashed a triple just over a minute into the game, marking the first three of the 22 points he would score in the opening stanza. The Eagles and Lancers embarked on their customary battle, with the next 10-plus minutes a tug-of-war that allowed the Eagles a lead of between three and five for much of that stretch.

Winthrop then let loose the run that arguably broke the Lancers. Nick Johnson dropped a pair of free throws and put home a layup, then a Jones three capped a 7-0 burst that put Winthrop ahead 12 with 8:32 to play in the period and induced an Aldrich timeout. The onslaught continued despite the respite, with the Eagles closing the first half on a 30-12 burst that gave the home side a 53-30 advantage at the interval.

“If some of Mike (Christmas)’s shots and Angelo (Brizzi)’s shots had gone in early, maybe we get some juice or something,” Aldrich said. “Their approach was that they were coming out hungry trying to win a game. We were not. That’s what happens in this conference. If you don’t come ready to compete and battle, you’re going to get popped.”

Longwood (13-6, 2-2) responded with a burst of its own as the second half got underway. Colby Garland booked a pair of buckets, Kyrell Luc hit a pair of threes, and Brizzi was good on a layup that sparked a 17-6 Lancer run which sliced the Eagle margin to 15 with 15:47 to play.

That run, though, proved to be a bit of a mirage.

K.J. Doucet splashed a three, Kelton Talford threw down a forceful dunk, and Jones converted a layup to push the lead back to 22. The lead would eventually stretch back to 24 on a Nick Johnson three.  Longwood could never again draw closer than 16, as Winthrop shot 55.6 percent in the second stanza and prevented the Lancers from gaining much ground.

“I thought we played harder in the second half,” Aldrich said. “I thought we were more aggressive and more attacking. We were just out there playing in the first half. There wasn’t a whole lot of physicality to our game. We were very low-urgency.”

“You better play and be ready to go against that team,” Prosser said. “They’re experienced. They’re very well-coached. Our attention to detail over the last couple of days, our sufficient aggravation and disappointment from the last calendar week leading into today has been present. They were ready to go. Hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.”

Jones finished with 24, just one off his career-high from earlier this season against Averett. The freshman from Suffolk, Va., found the net on 9-of-14 tries Saturday, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.

“It’s been such a high growth curve for him, especially at the defensive end of the floor,” Prosser said of Jones. “He’s wired to score. He scores like he breathes. He’s really – and this started before the season – is committed to the defensive end of the floor. He loves basketball. He’s got such a huge career ahead of him. He’s been terrific and he was terrific today.”

Three other members of Winthrop’s “leadership council” joined Jones in double figures. Talford tallied 17 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while Johnson registered 16 and boarded seven misses. Harrison also narrowly missed a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing nine of Winthrop’s 14 helpers – a career-high in assists for the Texas native.

“To me, it’s just all about making my teammates better and getting wins,” Harrison said. “I don’t care if I have zero points and we win. It’s a win for everybody. The win is more important than points and stuff like that.”

Winthrop shot 56.7 percent (34-for-60) on the day, with a 48.3 effort (14-for-29) from distance. The Eagles scored 40 of their points in the paint and added 16 points on second chances.

Luc paced the Lancers with 18, knocking down 5-of-9 from the deck and 6-of-9 from the stripe. Garland made 6-of-14 to add 15 points to his team-leading six boards, while Brizzi connected on 5-of-9 to total 13. Longwood shot 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the field, adding 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from distance. The Lancers hit 14-of-30 (46.7 percent) in the second stanza.

The sides return to conference action later in the week. Winthrop hosts Charleston Southern Wednesday evening in a 6:30 (Eastern) tip. Streaming coverage will be available over ESPN+. Longwood welcomes High Point to the Joan Perry Brock Center in Farmville, Va., for the league’s Thursday night Wildcard game. Tip time is set for 7:00, with coverage on ESPNU.

WINTHROP 95, LONGWOOD 76

LONGWOOD (13-6, 2-2 BIG SOUTH)

Christmas 2-7 2-2 8, Tucker 0-1 0-0 0, Luc 5-9 6-9 18, Garland 6-14 2-2 15, Brizzi 5-9 2-4 13, Nziemi 2-3 4-4 8, McClurg 2-6 0-0 6, Jefferson 1-2 0-0 3, Benard 1-3 3-3 5, Hicks 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 19-24 76.

WINTHROP (12-7, 2-2)

Talford 7-10 3-4 17, Doucet 2-3 0-0 6, Jolly 2-3 0-0 6 Jones 9-14 0-0 24, Harrison 6-12 2-3 14, Wilson 2-2 0-1 5, Johnson 4-8 6-8 16, Hamilton 0-1 0-2 0, Baker 2-6 0-0 5, Duncomb 0-1 2-2 2, Diallo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-60 13-20 95.

Halftime:  Winthrop 53-30. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 14-29 (Doucet 2-3, Jolly 2-3, Jones 6-11, Harrison 0-2, Wilson 1-1, Johnson 2-5, Baker 1-4), Longwood 9-21 (Christmas 2-5, Luc 2-3, Garland 1-4, Brizzi 1-2, McClurg 2-3, Jefferson 1-1, Benard 0-3). Fouled out:  Doucet (WU).  Rebounds:  Winthrop 38 (Talford 9), Longwood 29 (Garland 6). Total fouls:  Winthrop 20, Longwood 19. Technicals:  NA

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 16, Longwood 11.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 40, Longwood 28. Second-chance points:  Winthrop 16, Longwood 7.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 9, Longwood 5.  Bench points:  Winthrop 28, Longwood 22.