Johnson’s 3-point barrage sees Winthrop past Presbyterian

Keon Johnson’s four 3-pointers in just over 2 minutes helped the Eagles bore through a stubborn Presbyterian defense for a 75-52 win Wednesday night, the Eagles’ eighth in the last nine games.

Blue Hose coach Gregg Nibert said his team just installed a zone defense several days ago, figuring it was their best shot at success this season. The saggy defensive scheme kept the Eagles at bay for a half, until Johnson’s explosion.

“I just hope that the people in this area realize what’s going on. He is a special, special player,” said Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey. “And so is No. 12 from Wollongong (Xavier Cooks), and this team is pretty good. This team is really good. (Johnson’s) days are numbered in a Winthrop uniform. He’s a senior and he’s more than half way through his senior year and he’s one of the best players in the history of this tradition-rich program.”

Just about 60 days from Selection Sunday for the NCAA tournament, Winthrop is off to its best start in Big South play (4-1) since Randy Peele’s 2007-08 club started 5-1.

But as well as Kelsey’s group has played in recent weeks, it took more than a few possessions - 3 full minutes of the game actually - for the Eagles to get their bearings against the Blue Hose’s zone Wednesday night. Bjorn Broman’s 3 got the Eagles on the board, but it was one of the few shots that fell through the net in the first half, for either team. Presbyterian (4-12, 0-5) only made 28 percent of its shots, while Winthrop’s late scoring spurt raised its percentage to 38.

Xavier Cooks fed Tevin Prescott for a finish at the rim, before the Australian sprayed a baseline feed to Anders Broman for a left corner 3. Reggie Dillard blew by his defender to score for Presbyterian, but Keon Johnson buried another 3 from the productive left corner and Joshua Davenport wriggled free for a bucket with 12 seconds left for a 30-21 Eagles’ halftime lead.

Turning point

J’Vontae Millner’s jumper cut Winthrop’s lead to 37-33 with about 15 minutes left in the game. Something flicked a switch in Johnson and he hit four 3-pointers in a row over the next 2 minutes, part of a 13-0 run that broke the game open. Cooks scored in the paint and Anders Broman turned a steal into a layup for a 17-0 run before Presbyterian finally halted the Eagles’ unanswered scoring streak with a bucket.

“Changed the whole complexion of the game,” said Presbyterian coach Gregg Nibert. “He’s that good of a player. You can’t have your hands down on him.”

Critical

Some shots started falling for the hosts. Presbyterian wasn’t doing much to cause Winthrop problems on offense, the Eagles just weren’t making the numerous good looks they got at the basket. Johnson’s sizzling stretch of 3-point shooting seemed to ease that situation a bit, especially as others began to see a bigger rim too. Winthrop ended with 16 assists on 28 field goals.

“We were getting the shots we wanted, wide-open looks, we had good ball movement, we just weren’t knocking them down,” said Anders Broman, who hit three 3s and had nine points. “We came out second half and started knocking them down. It helps to have Keon Johnson.”

Also big: Millner, a true freshman and Presbyterian’s best player, picked up two fouls early in the game’s first 3 minutes. Nibert took a risk and put him back in and he promptly was whistled for a third. The Blue Hose’s leading scorer was a non-factor, finishing with 11 points.

“He’s a nice player,” said Nibert, “but he’s over there sitting on the bench.”

Star contributors

It took a player of Johnson’s caliber to help the Eagles put away plucky Presbyterian. He needed just two points to pass Lashawn Coulter as Winthrop’s second-leading career scorer, and its all-time leading scorer in the Division I ranks, and he got that early in the game, before heating up in the second half. Johnson topped 20 points for the fifth straight game, making 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range on his way to a game-high 21 points.

Cooks grabbed 10 or more rebounds for the sixth time in seven games, narrowly missing out on a double-double of nine points and 11 boards, while also dishing out seven zone-splitting assists. Ed Drew led Presbyterian with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

On deck

Winthrop hits the road this weekend to face Campbell in a game pitting two of the country’s best small scoring guards - the Eagles’ Johnson and Campbell’s Chris Clemons.

Box score

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 9:04 PM with the headline "Johnson’s 3-point barrage sees Winthrop past Presbyterian."