Despite late run, Winthrop basketball incurs third one-possession loss to Tennessee Tech
Winthrop’s Hunter Hale hit two 3-pointers in the last 11 seconds to give his team a chance — but the Eagles fell short in its third one-possession loss of the season to Tennessee Tech, 61-58, in the Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill on Thursday night.
The Eagles didn’t have much to celebrate with just over nine minutes left in the contest: They were shooting poorly from three and had accumulated 15 turnovers.
And then, freshman guard Russell Jones ignited an 11-0 run that cut Tennessee Tech’s lead to one. After being down 44-34, Jones scored seven straight points, including two fast break layups caused by consecutive steals.
He then gave a no-look assist on the next bucket — a dunk by his freshman counterpart, Chase Claxton — and was in the mix on a Chandler Vaudrin steal and fast break score of his own.
“That’s my job, to be able to pick up 94 (feet) and cause havoc on the defensive end,” Jones said postgame. “Coaches have been telling me that. I was just doing my job for the team. I know we had to find some sort of run to get back into it. And I was able to have that tonight, but I have to be able to do that all game.”
Tennessee Tech would earn a lead soon after, but the Eagles clawed back. Hale hit three of the Eagles’ six total made threes (on the team’s 24 attempts), including two in the final minute, as aforementioned: It was reminiscent of the game against Fresno State, when the senior hit a deep jumper to tie the game at 74, before a Bulldog three at the buzzer handed Winthrop its first loss of the season.
“That’s kind of what they call me to do,” Hale said postgame. “I come in and hit shots. I feel like I need to be more aggressive throughout the game, trying to find my shot, trying to get more open looks, get in different places, get better shots...
“The late shots are good but to not be in that position is probably better.”
Winthrop was led by Jones, who notched 12 points and five assists; Hale, who added 11 points; senior Josh Ferguson, who led the team in rebounds with seven, and added six points; and Vaudrin, who added four assists.
As a team, the Eagles shot 38.6% from the field on the game, and they broke what head coach Pat Kelsey refers to as “the golden rule” — recording more turnovers (17) than offensive rebounds (10).
“We chart deflections,” Kelsey said postgame. “We went 32 in the game. We’re well below where we needed to be up until that point. We had 21 deflections in the last 12 minutes. I think that’s a good indicator that we just played harder on the defensive end (later).”
Notable: ‘Mike is a big part of our defense’
Sophomore guard Michael Anumba didn’t play in Thursday night’s contest after falling hard in the first half of Winthrop’s win over Mid-Atlantic on Saturday. He’s started every game he’s played in his career.
Said Jones: “Mike is a big part of our defense. He’s a big part of our team. And he brings us that effort, that energy every time he steps on the floor. Anytime you’re missing a player of that caliber, it’s key for other players to step up, and I just feel like tonight, we just didn’t do that as a team.
“But Mike not being able to play for us was huge, I feel like.”
Up until Thursday, Anumba was fourth on the team in minutes played and averaged just over five points a game.
Hale echoed Jones’ statement that Anumba brings something that can’t be seen in a stat sheet.
“I feel the same way,” Hale said. “I mean, he’s a great defensive player. He’s very versatile. He definitely would have stepped up to the challenge and guarded lots of people who are very versatile, making shots against us. But we really hang our hat on our depth, so guys got to step up, play better and we know that, and hopefully Mike can get back pretty soon.”
Also of note: Winthrop was better than 50 percent from the line for only the second time this season. (The Eagles have shot 70 percent or better from the free throw line as a team in five straight seasons.)
Quotable: ‘An affinity for those types of guys’
Kelsey on Jones sparking a late second half run: “When you’re that little, you play with a chip on your shoulder. You know, I have an affinity for those type of guys. I wasn’t nearly as good as either one of those guys, but I was little for Division I basketball, and I walked into every gym and every practice feeling like I have to prove myself.
“And that’s what the Keon Johnsons and the Russell Joneses do. They go like, ‘You? You’re too small. No way.’ And if you don’t have that (chip), you can’t survive at that size. So yeah, he was a big part of that huge run we made.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 9:35 PM.
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