Winthrop withstands Manhattan pressure, wins Tuesday morning

Winthrop withstood Manhattan’s pressure defense Tuesday morning in a nationally televised 94-81 win in the Bronx.

Joshua Davenport’s career-high 22 points led the Eagles, who also got 20 from Keon Johnson in an ESPN2 game that tipped off at 8:45 a.m. Davenport was 16-of-18 from the free throw line - just two shy of the school record for made foul shots in a game - while Johnson hit 10-of-12 in a game that saw the two teams combine for 68 fouls.

Winthrop (2-0) took advantage of the tightly-called game, scoring 36 points from the free throw line, and coach Pat Kelsey will no doubt have been delighted that his team assisted on 20 of its 24 field goals. The Eagles moved the ball well on offense throughout the game, and two of the prime beneficiaries, Anders Broman and Roderick Perkins, also hit double figures. Broman pitched in 15 points and Perkins added 12 off the bench, the pair combining to hit 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc.

From ESPN, Joshua Davenport feeds Duby Okeke for a second half dunk on Tuesday:

Turning point

A 9-0 Winthrop run early in the second half broke open a close game. The Eagles pushed their lead to as much as 19 points with about 8 minutes left, then held on when the Jaspers hit a late offensive rhythm.

Critical

Winthrop withstood Manhattan’s pressure for most of the game. The Eagles finished with 13 turnovers, but most of those came during the Jaspers’ late second half run when they pulled within 11 points of the lead, but never closer.

Kelsey’s club also withstood early foul trouble, crucial against a Manhattan team that seemed intent on physical play and ample fouling. Post trio Duby Okeke, Tevin Prescott and Xavier Cooks all picked up two early fouls, but Freddy Poole and freshman Josh Ferguson gave the Eagles some minutes - and fouls - off the bench, and Davenport played so well in his post position minutes that the full impact was never truly felt.

And the Eagles continued to show their coolness at the foul line, where they hit eight more than Manhattan in nearly the same amount of attempts.

Star contributors

Johnson bounced back from a two-point effort against Ferrum College with 20 points, 11 of which came from the foul line. He did a solid job of weaving through the Jaspers’ fullcourt pressure, as did sophomore guard Bjorn Broman, who only scored four points but had five assists and five rebounds, and just two turnovers.

What was probably Davenport’s best game in a Winthrop uniform - eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers to go with 22 points - helped offset a quiet night from Cooks. Davenport and Okeke both had crucial tip-outs for offensive rebounds during the second half that helped stave off Manhattan’s run.

Cooks never got into the flow of the game after a first half technical and finished with six points in just 12 minutes of action and fouled out. Manhattan had five players in double figures, led by Zavier Turner’s 15 points.

On deck

Winthrop faces an even taller task Friday against Florida State on the road. The Seminoles have one of the tallest teams in college basketball with five players taller than 6-foot-8, and a number of other players that are taller than average for their position.

Box score

Winthrop 94, Manhattan 81

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Winthrop withstands Manhattan pressure, wins Tuesday morning."