Johnson takes it to another level in extra time as Winthrop outlasts Charleston Southern

 

Winthrop guard Nick Johnson scored 17 points in extra time to help the Eagles fend off Charleston Southern Wednesday night.  (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics/Professional Photography Group)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Of all the people to ever walk into Charleston Southern’s Buc Dome, one would be hard-pressed to find one who hates to lose as much as Saah Nimley. He was a fierce, constant competitor as a player and is every bit the same as a coach.

To know that is to realize how striking it was to see Nimley in the hall outside the Charleston Southern locker room Wednesday night. The Bucs had just fallen, 102-97, to Winthrop in a three-overtime battle that seemed as if it would never end. Nimley stood against the wall, looking equal parts drained and heartbroken. His voice was faint. When he spoke, though, his words were unmistakable.

“I thought it was a heck of an effort by our guys,” Nimley said. “I thought they did everything right, and being super short-handed, they made every effort to win this game. Some days, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.  They made two spur-of-the-moment threes when they needed it. Sometimes, the ball bounces that way. We’ve got to trust that it’s going to bounce our way soon.”

Charleston Southern (5-14, 1-3 Big South) was, to be sure, challenged. The Bucs dressed eight players, with seven of those players logging 21 or more minutes. Two played over 50, with another nearing that total. Three Bucs fouled out, leaving them with just five available players at the final horn. Two more had four fouls. Nimley spoke after the game almost as if the situation were a positive.

“We’ve got some experience in this. We went through the same thing last year,” Nimley said. “The reality is that we just play. We don’t take down our level of physicality. We don’t take down – we make some adjustments on who’s guarding who, but nothing changes. We go out there and play, and what happens happens. It’s next man up.”

On the other side, there was Winthrop. The Eagles clawed, scratched, and – though arguably Pyrrhic – found victory. Winthrop (13-7, 3-2) trailed by three with 30 seconds left in regulation, only for Bryce Baker to hit a three to tie it. Isaiah Wilson made a free throw late in the first overtime that only allowed RJ Johnson to tie it for Charleston Southern on the other end and force a second extra period. In the second overtime, the Bucs seemed to all but finish in the win column after a Johnson layup, only for the Eagles’ Nick Johnson to can a triple on the other end and force another period.

“The shot that Bryce made at the end of regulation, the shot that Nick made – whenever the heck that was, in one of those overtimes – to keep us alive are just huge basketball plays,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game.  “When things aren’t going well and you have to overcome a lot – there was a lot to overcome tonight, and there’s only so much I can say about that – I felt like we had to overcome a lot, and I felt like our kids – it was a resilient win. Good teams do that, and I hope we’re building toward that.”

Nick Johnson and Prosser shared Nimley’s look – in a way – after the game. They wore a smile, though almost out of relief. Their bodies and minds were clearly drained.

“I was convinced that we’d still be playing as that thing went on,” Prosser said, his voice showing clear signs of fatigue. “The dudes that played left it all out there. It’s going to be like this all the time. That’s just life in this league. It’s so talented and so well-coached.”

Johnson led Winthrop’s four double-digit scorers, pouring in 28. Interestingly, though, he outscored every Eagle in just the three overtimes, as he tallied 17 in the three extra periods. Only Kasen Harrison’s 18-point total was higher.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it – we have so many people that can contribute in such large ways,” Johnson said. “People forget about the shot Bryce hit at the end of regulation, since we went into three overtimes. That was a huge shot. Kasen was cramping and still found a way to help us out at the end. We know how big people like K.J. (Doucet) and KT (Kelton Talford) are. As they go, we go.”

“He’s a warrior,” Prosser said of Johnson. “He’s built up to that. He’s a really good basketball player. He’s an all-league caliber player. He shows that. He’s shown it in huge moments.”

There’s more of the story on Harrison, Doucet, and Talford to tell. First, though, we need to address Johnson’s overtime effort.

“It was all will,” Johnson said. “It was not Xs-and-O’s. It was just all will. At that point, it’s who wants it more. Charleston Southern’s a great team, they have a lot of really good players, they’re gritty, and they’re resilient too. They fought us to the very end. We knew it was going to be tough coming in here, and we just found a way to will it out at the end.”

While Johnson spoke, Harrison was feet away. He didn’t wear a headset or field questions from the media. Instead, he stood at the free throw line nearest the Winthrop locker room, taking free throws. He got the ball back after it was rebounded, then did it again. He then moved to the other free throw line and repeated the process.

Doucet and Talford missed time, as Johnson referenced.  First, the story of Talford. The fifth-year senior was hit in the face at some point during the game – Prosser was unsure after the game whether it was a play that was actually reviewed for a possible flagrant foul or during another sequence – and played just eight minutes. Talford has played fewer than eight minutes just twice in his career – both six-minute outings in 2021. No update was provided on his status after the game.

Doucet – along with Charleston Southern all-conference performer Taje’ Kelly and seemingly everybody else in the building – was part of the parade to the bench following disqualification for fouls. Doucet played just 25 of the 55 minutes contested Wednesday night. Kelly logged just 38 minutes before being disqualified, booking a 22-point, 16-board double-double. Nimley never flinched when describing Kelly.

“(He means) everything,” Nimley said. “He understands who we are. He’s our longest-tenured player. It’s crazy that people don’t speak (more) of him, because he’s by far the best player in this league. That’s just the truth. You ask any coach (in this league) when they prepare for him and they prepare for other guys how that preparation looks, and it looks like you’re preparing for the best player in the league. He walks into your gym, he gets his 25-and-10, and he walks out of your gym. I’m sure you’ll respect him when he walks out.”

Johnson – RJ, in CSU’s case – also paced his Bucs. The star guard booked 30 points in almost 48 minutes, carrying the load for much of the time Kelly was off the floor. Guard Daylen Berry also had a big night while playing the most minutes of any player, tallying 23 points in over 53 minutes of game time. The Bucs scored 24 second-chance points while hauling in a dizzying 60 boards.

Doucet scored 15 while snaring three caroms for the Eagles. Freshman guard Paul Jones continued his hot play of late, finishing with 13 points and three boards of his own before fouling out. The Eagles shot 53 percent during the extra sessions, while finishing at 47 percent on the game. The sides combined to try 90 free throws after 66 total fouls were assessed.

It’s perhaps most appropriate to let Prosser sum up what everyone in the building felt, as he verbalized what his face – and voice – had already revealed.

“I feel like I played,” Prosser said. “I’m exhausted. I need to go to bed.”

Both teams return to play Saturday afternoon. Charleston Southern returns home to the Buc Dome to face Radford in Big South play, while Winthrop travels to rival UNC Asheville. Both games are slated to tip at 2:00 (Eastern), with ESPN+ offering streaming coverage for both.

WINTHROP 102, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 97 (3OT)

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (5-14, 1-3 BIG SOUTH)

Kelly 5-15 12-16 22, Olalere 0-1 1-2 1, Oden 1-5 6-7 8, Berry 8-17 5-6 23, Johnson 9-21 9-14 30, Jones 0-2 5-6 5, Gause 3-12 2-2 8, Camara 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-73 40-53 97.

WINTHROP (13-7, 3-2)

Talford 2-2 0-1 4, Jolly 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 5-13 0-0 13, Johnson 8-20 11-16 28, Harrison 8-18 2-6 18, Doucet 6-9 2-5 15, Baker 3-6 1-2 9, Wilson 2-3 1-2 5, Hamilton 1-3 0-0 2, Diallo 1-3 2-2 4, Duncomb 1-2 2-3 4. Totals 37-79 21-37 102.

Halftime:  Winthrop 38-34. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 7-21 (Jones 3-9, Johnson 1-4, Harrison 0-1, Doucet 1-2, Baker 2-4, Wilson 0-1), Charleston Southern 5-26 (Kelly 0-1, Oden 0-4, Berry 2-6, Johnson 3-6, Gause 0-7). Fouled out:  Kelly (CSU), Olalere (CSU), Jones (CSU), Jones (WU), Doucet (WU), Hamilton (WU).  Rebounds:  Charleston Southern 60 (Kelly 16), Winthrop 48 (Hamilton 6). Total fouls:  Winthrop 36, Charleston Southern 30. Technicals:  NA

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 18, Charleston Southern 12.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 54, Charleston Southern 42. Second-chance points:  Charleston Southern 24, Winthrop 7.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 19, Charleston Southern 7.  Bench points:  Winthrop 39, Charleston Southern 13.