Winthrop absorbs punches, knocks out Elon in final of Rock Hill Classic

Winthrop forward Kelton Talford fights through traffic in the lane Sunday.  (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops)

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Rock Hill Classic was a round-robin event and did not have a championship, but Sunday afternoon may as well have served as one.

Elon and Winthrop both claimed convincing victories over Holy Cross and IUPUI earlier in the weekend, then serendipitously faced off to close down the first Winthrop-hosted MTE.

The Phoenix started both halves of the contest on hot stretches, but Winthrop answered the bell. The Eagles placed four scorers in double digits and held off Elon, 78-70, in front of an announced crowd of 944 at Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.

Elon (3-3) needed just 50 seconds to hand Winthrop its first deficit of the weekend, as Nick Dorn splashed home a corner triple. Dorn added another as part of a quick Phoenix burst. Elon hit five threes in the first five-plus minutes of the game to race out to a 15-4 lead. Winthrop (4-2) countered in the next segment, using a 14-3 spurt of its own to draw the game level at 20 on a Nick Johnson bucket. The Phoenix again grabbed a 26-25 lead on a Deandre Smart bucket, but the Eagles closed the period on a 14-6 run that afforded them a 39-31 lead at the interval.

The Phoenix hoisted 18 threes – hitting six – in the opening period. Elon closed the period just 1-for-13 from distance after the initial burst.

Elon again raced out of the gate to start the second half, unleashing a 13-5 stretch that again leveled the game at 44. Dorn and Max Mackinnon canned treys as part of the burst. The tie lasted exactly 10 seconds, as Johnson sank a pair of free throws. Johnson’s freebies were part of a 16-7 run that placed Winthrop back out front, 60-51.

The sides continued to battle as the half elapsed, though the Phoenix could draw no closer than five points. Winthrop continued to swell its lead at the free throw line, as the Eagles had a stretch where they scored 8-of-10 points from the stripe. Winthrop extended its lead to 10 late in the second half as it continued to hold a lead it secured on a Kelton Talford bucket with 6:14 remaining in the first half.

Elon guard Rob Higgins created his own personal 5-0 run with less than a minute remaining, using two buckets and a free throw to slice the 10-point Eagle advantage in half. The Phoenix could advance no further, however, as Winthrop salted away the contest with four free throws.

Talford led the Eagles in scoring on the evening, scoring 18 points in an effort that included a 10-of-10 performance from the line. Sin’Cere McMahon turned in 15, adding 7-of-8 from the stripe. Nick Johnson and Kasen Harrison tallied 13 and 11, playing 36 and 35 minutes, respectively. The Eagles shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) on the contest, finishing with a 5-for-20 mark (25 percent) from beyond the arc. Winthrop hit 77.1 percent (27-for-35) of its free throw tries.

Higgins, a St. Francis Brooklyn transfer, paced the Phoenix with 20 points in an Elon career high. Higgins shot 6-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-9 on freebies. Guard T.K. Simpkins contributed 14, buoyed by 10-of-12 from the line. The Phoenix shot 39.2 percent (20-for-51) from the deck, managing to connect on just 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) from deep. Elon also attempted a significant number of free throws, knocking home 22-of-28 (78.6 percent) from the line.

The win marked Winthrop’s 12th decision over Elon in 15 all-time outings. The Eagles have won two of the three contests played since the start of the 2019 season.

Both programs will now break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Winthrop resumes play Friday, Nov. 24, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tip time is set for 5:00pm (Eastern) with streaming coverage on SEC Network+. Elon squares off against another Big South foe in the Presbyterian Blue Hose at the Schar Center in Elon, N.C. on Monday, Nov. 27. Game time is set for 7:00 with coverage on FloSports.

WINTHROP 78, ELON 70

ELON (3-3)

Dorn 3-6 0-0 9, Mackinnon 1-5 0-0 3, Sherry 2-3 3-3 7, Higgins 6-9 6-7 20, Simpkins 2-10 10-12 14, Campbell 1-3 3-6 5, Ervin 2-10 0-0 6, Pratt 0-2 0-0 0, Smart 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 20-51 22-28 70.

WINTHROP (4-2)

Talford 4-7 10-10 18, Johnson 5-11 2-4 13, Harrison 3-10 4-8 11, Doucet 1-4 0-0 2, Claxton 2-3 1-2 5, McMahon 3-11 7-8 15, Diallo 0-0 0-0 0, Van Bibber 3-5 1-1 8, Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Timmerman 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 23-54 27-35 78.

Halftime:  Winthrop 39-31. 3-Point goals:  Elon 8-29 (Dorn 3-6, Mackinnon 1-3, Higgins 2-4, Simpkins 0-4, Ervin 2-10, Pratt 0-2), Winthrop 5-20 (Talford 0-1, Johnson 1-3, Harrison 1-3, Doucet 0-1, Claxton 0-1, McMahon 2-8, Van Bibber 1-3). Fouled out:  Smart (EU), Doucet (WU). Rebounds:  Elon 35 (Simpkins 7), Winthrop 32 (Talford/Harrison/Timmerman 5). Assists:  Elon 14 (Simpkins 5), Winthrop 12 (Harrison 5). Total fouls:  Elon 27, Winthrop 22. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 18, Elon 8.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 34, Elon 22.  Second-chance points:  Elon 18, Winthrop 10.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 13, Elon 4.  Bench points:  Winthrop 29, Elon 17.