Eagles look for progress versus CofC

By Gary McCann - gmccann@heraldonline.com

Grabbing the best from Saturday's 57-55 survival against Limestone, Winthrop coach Randy Peele gathered his players during Sunday's late-afternoon practice and gave them a little history lesson.

Yeah, they were less than stellar in beating the Saints, but two years ago the Eagles stumbled out of the gate against Queens, another NCAA Division II team, and won 68-61. It wasn't quite as close as Saturday's misfire against Limestone, but it was just as disconcerting to Winthrop fans.

“I told them we won by seven,” Peele said. “I'm sweating, and we didn't look good. But I also told them we won 22 games and went to the NCAA tournament.”

The Eagles followed that with wins over Illinois-Chicago and Georgia Tech and an eight-point loss to Baylor in the Paradise Jam, a three-game stretch that jump-started that season.

Peele is hoping for a similar bounce tonight, when the Eagles visit the College of Charleston.

On Monday, Peele more than admitted his team's performance and effort in the opener were lacking, that his concerns about being able to score remain.

“That game does not define us,” Peele said. “We're better than what we played. The ship's not sinking. We've just got to figure out how to play.”

Part of figuring that out is coming up with a rotation. Peele used 10 players against Limestone and some of the combinations simply didn't click. And that was without 6-foot-7 junior Charles Corbin, who is suspended indefinitely and won't play tonight.

Does Peele use a smaller lineup or stay big? Probably some of both.

Part of it is getting his team to play as hard at the beginning of the game as it did in the final three minutes, when the Eagles erased a seven-point deficit.

Does he go to pressure defense early instead of waiting for desperation time? Might see some pressure in the first half tonight.

But the biggest issue is finding someone who can score consistently, not just on jump shots, but simply finishing plays at the rim. The Eagles got some good shots against Limestone but converted very few. They scored field goals on consecutive possessions just twice in 40 minutes. They survived by getting to the free-throw line 27 times, including eight times down the stretch. Andre Jones missed a point-blank layup, George Valentine missed a dunk and Justin Burton missed a couple of wide-open 3-pointers, but no one was immune from failing to score.

“I told them the bottom line is I expect them to step up and make plays,” Peele said.

The Eagles shot 33 percent overall, 6.7 percent on 3-pointers (1 for 15), got beat on the boards by six — and still won.

“If the shots aren't going in, it's not pretty,” Peele said.

Jones, who missed 12 of his 15 shots, said the issue is “focus,” that the team has good shooters who “just need to make some shots.”

Peele said he hopes having a game in the books will help tonight against the Cougars, adding it will be “interesting to see how we respond.”

It's a good bet the Eagles have gotten the attention of coach Bobby Cremins and the Cougars, who dropped their season opener at Coastal Carolina last Friday, 70-59.

The Cougars, coming off a 27-9 season, were the preseason pick to win the South Division of the Southern Conference, despite having four freshmen and a sophomore in their top nine players. After getting thumped by a team picked to finish eighth in the Big South Conference in the opener and then facing a team picked to finish third in that same league, it's likely their interest and motivation tonight will be above average on the intensity meter.

The Cougars were thrashed 49-30 on the boards by the Chanticleers while playing without 6-8 center Jeremy Simmons, who was suspended for the game. Cremins already had lost 6-7 Antwaine Wiggins for the year with a torn ACL. Simmons returns tonight to team with 6-8 Casaan Breeden, who is playing his first season after transferring from Florida State, up front.

But it is guards Andrew Goudelock and Tony White who drive the Cougars. In the Cougars' 77-76 win at Winthrop last season, Goudelock hit 5 of 9 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, while White added 15 points and five assists. They combined for 29 of the 59 points in the loss to Coastal.

While Peele will game plan the Cougars as he always does, he will focus more on his own team.

“It's how we play,” he said. “We're still young. There are a lot of pieces to put together.”

WINTHROP (1-0) AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (0-1)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Carolina First Arena, Charleston

TV: None

Radio: WRHI-FM (94.3), airtime 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: cofcsports.com

Winthrop probable starters: G Reggie Middleton 6-0 So. (2 ppg, 4 rpg); G Andre Jones 6-2 So. (15 ppg, 2 rpg); C Andy Buechert 6-9 Sr. (8 ppg, 7 rpg); F George Valentine 6-8 Jr. (4 ppg, 3 rpg); F Mantoris Robinson 6-5 Sr. (11 ppg, 10 rpg)

C of C probable starters: F Casaan Breeden 6-8 Sr. (6 ppg, 3 rpg); C Jeremy Simmons 6-8 So. (DNP first game); G Donovan Monroe 6-2 Jr. (10 ppg, 6 rpg); G Andrew Goudelock 6-1 Jr. (19 ppg, 2 rpg); G Tony White 6-0 Sr. (10 ppg, 3 rpg)

Notes: The Cougars have won 39 of their last 40 home openers. ... C of C lost 6-7 starting forward Antwaine Wiggins for the season with a torn ACL. ... Jeremy Simmons was suspended for the first game at Coastal Carolina, but will play tonight. ... The Cougars beat the Eagles 77-76 last season. ... Reggie Middleton had 15 points and five assists and Charles Corbin had a career-high 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting. ... Corbin, who is suspended indefinitely, will not play tonight. ... The Cougars dropped their opener 70-59 at Coastal Carolina, after being outrebounded 49-30. ... Winthrop was 4-12 in road games last year.

Next up: Winthrop hosts USC Upstate at 4 p.m. Saturday.