Winthrop places five in double figures, fights off NC Central in Rock Hill Classic

 

Winthrop forward Kelton Talford logged a double-double in the Eagles' Sunday victory. (Photo:  Winthrop University Athletics)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – “We felt like we let one slip away.”

Winthrop forward Kelton Talford’s comment Sunday about Saturday afternoon’s loss to Georgia Southern explained some things. It explained the edge with which his Eagles played Sunday. It explained the double-double Talford logged Sunday – the 14^th of his career. It also likely explained the urgency Winthrop showed in closing out the Rock Hill Classic.

Talford’s 22 points and 10 boards led five Eagles in double figures, helping Winthrop to a hard-fought, 77-75 victory over North Carolina Central at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center Sunday afternoon.

“The guys stuck with it,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “It was a game of runs. They’re good. They’re well-coached. For us to have the resiliency to go down five – again – and stay with it to come back and have a chance to come back and win that game … we feel good about that.”

NC Central (1-5) knocked home the game’s first two shots and started a see-saw first half. After a Diontae Johnson three and Po’Boigh King bucket made it 5-0, Winthrop (4-2) countered with a 12-2 run that compelled a timeout from LeVelle Moton. K.J. Doucet scored six of the 12 points in the run. Central then answered with a 12-0 run of its own over the next two-and-a-half minutes to take a 19-12 advantage.

After another stoppage, Winthrop launched the next salvo. The Eagles tore off a 12-0 run to jump ahead 24-19 – only for NC Central to respond with an 11-0 run of its own to retake a 30-24 lead. Winthrop then punched back with a 12-3 burst to seize a 36-33 margin. NC Central responded with a Keishon Porter three to take a 40-39 halftime lead.

Neither side held a lead greater than a single possession until the 8:37 mark of the second half. After a Jaqai Murray three gave Central a three-point lead, Timmy Adedire hit a pair of free throws to put the visiting Eagles ahead by five with 8:15 remaining. Central’s lead expanded as far as six following the second of two Johnson free throws with 5:10 to play.

The final run on a day full of them belonged to Winthrop. Nick Johnson tallied back-to-back buckets to slice that six-point lead to just two. Kasen Harrison then crashed the paint for an equalizer layup at the 3:18 mark. Talford essentially put the game away one minute later, putting home a bucket in traffic to give Winthrop a 73-71 lead, then knocking down two free throws another minute later.

“We’re taught that if you’re a glass guy, go to the glass,” Talford said. “Doucet went, tipped it first and couldn’t get it to fall, then Paul Jones followed it up and couldn’t get it to fall, so it was just my turn to go up there. I just so happened to get the foul call and go to the line and knock down free throws.”

Porter then converted a layup with 55 seconds left to bring Central within two and draw the Winthrop faithful to the edge of their seats. Nick Johnson would send those fans home happy just a half-minute later. Harrison again crashed the lane and sprayed to Johnson in the right corner. Johnson stuck a jumper to put Winthrop ahead, 77-73. The Eagles clamped down on defense on the final possession, forcing an errant, last-second three-pointer that was tipped home as time had almost entirely elapsed.

“There’s nothing negative you can say about Nick Johnson,” Talford said. “He’s one of the hardest working players I know. He’s ready for the big moments. He’s going to do all the small things that you may not see. He’s so selfless when it comes to that.”

“Man, did he make a big shot over there in the corner,” Prosser said. “It was an unbelievable find by Kasen Harrison, who played an exemplary floor game.”

Talford’s 22 paced all Eagle scorers. Johnson added 17, hitting 5-of-7 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the stripe. Harrison booked 13, with Doucet adding 10. Freshman guard Paul Jones III notched 11 in his first start, drawing praise from his coach.

“I walked in here today for shootaround and Paul Jones was out here on this court in a full sweat,” Prosser said. “When you have that much of a care level, when you know what your potential is and maybe you don’t feel like – he shoots the basketball at an extraordinarily high level. He didn’t feel like he was shooting well, so he was in the gym. If things aren’t going well, he’s willing to do something about it.  It would have been easy to stay in bed, but he was here, to his credit. It’s the dudes that invest and work that good things happen to. Those are the types of kids you hang banners with.”

Winthrop shot 48.1 percent (25-for-54), hitting 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) from distance. The Eagles made 19-of-26 tries (73.1 percent) from the charity stripe.

King led NC Central with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting. King drained five triples on the day. Johnson added 15 in hitting 6-of-12 tries, while Floyd Rideau added 10 in reserve duty. Central hit 44.8 percent of its tries (26-for-58), sinking 11 threes in 22 tries in the process. The Eagles hit 12-of-15 from the line in the contest.

Both teams are off until Friday. NC Central will take on Georgia State at the GSU Convocation Center in Atlanta in a 7:00 start that will be streamed over ESPN+. Winthrop will visit the Yum! Center in Louisville to take on the Cardinals. That game will also tip at 7:00, with coverage over ACCNX.

WINTHROP 77, NC CENTRAL 75

NC CENTRAL (1-5)

Porter 2-5 0-0 5, Johnson 6-12 2-2 15, Adedire 2-7 4-4 9, Smith 0-3 0-0 0, King 6-13 1-2 18, Smart 0-1 2-2 2, Parson 2-6 0-0 4, Rideau 3-4 2-3 10, Murray 5-7 1-2 12. Totals 26-58 12-15 75.

WINTHROP (4-2)

Jones 3-8 2-3 11, Talford 8-13 6-8 22, Harrison 5-8 2-3 13, Doucet 3-6 4-4 10, Baker 0-5 0-0 0, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0, Jolly 0-0 0-0 0, Diallo 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 5-7 5-8 17, Van Bibber 0-2 0-0 0, Kamarad 1-2 0-0 2, Hamilton 0-0 0-0 0, Duncomb 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 26-54 19-26 77.

Halftime:  NC Central 40-39. 3-Point goals:  NC Central 11-22 (Porter 1-1, Johnson 1-4, Adedire 1-3, Smith 0-1, King 5-8, Parson 0-1, Rideau 2-3, Murray 1-1), Winthrop 6-21 (Jones 3-7, Harrison 1-2, Doucet 0-1, Baker 0-3, Wilson 0-1, Diallo 0-1, Johnson 2-3, Van Bibber 0-2, Kamarad 0-1). Fouled out:  NA  Rebounds:  Winthrop 37 (Talford 10), NC Central 27 (Murray 6). Total fouls:  NC Central 22, Winthrop 17. Technicals:  Parson (NCCU), Doucet (WU), Moton (NCCU), Talford (WU).

Points off turnovers:  NC Central 23, Winthrop 15.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 38, NC Central 24.  Second-chance points:  Winthrop 17, NC Central 7.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 11, NC Central 4.  Bench points:  NC Central 28, Winthrop 21.