Winthrop loses double-digit lead, falls at Colorado State

Colorado State overturned a 14-point Winthrop lead to beat the Eagles 80-76 in men’s basketball action Tuesday night.

Playing in Fort Collins, Winthrop hit 15 3-pointers — just two shy of the school record. The Eagles led 39-32 at the half and an 8-0 run pushed that advantage to 50-36 with 15 minutes to play.

But their offense went dry midway thru the second half just as the Rams made their move with a 16-5 spurt to close the gap and eventually grab the lead.

Anders Broman’s 3 cut the deficit to 79-76 with 1:05 to play and the Eagles forced a turnover on the ensuing possession to have a chance to tie or pull within one. Xavier Cooks was fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one but his free throw bounced off the front of the rim and the Eagles were forced to foul, as their chance for a big road win slipped away.

Broman finished with a career-high 22 points, banging in 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arc. Junior Austin Awad, who didn’t play in Winthrop’s season-opening loss to Southern Illinois, was very effective off the bench, making four 3s for 12 points in 16 minutes of action.

Prentiss Nixon led Colorado State with 16 points, while Nico Carvacho’s 11 points and 20 rebounds emphasized the Rams’ dominance inside. The hosts outscored Pat Kelsey’s club 36-18 in the paint and kept Winthrop big men Jermaine Ukaegbu and Josh Ferguson in constant foul trouble.

Winthrop is back in action Saturday at 4 p.m. against Central Penn. The Eagles women play just prior against South Carolina State at 1 p.m.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 7:25 AM with the headline "Winthrop loses double-digit lead, falls at Colorado State."