Chandler Vaudrin triple-double, tough defense bring Winthrop closer to Big South goal
The last time Winthrop and High Point squared off in the Big South tournament, Andre Smith raced up the floor, spun, then heaved — and swished — a 30-foot desperation try at the horn. The bucket dispatched the top-seeded Panthers from the 2014 proceedings on Coastal Carolina’s campus in Conway.
No such drama would be required at Winthrop Coliseum on Monday night.
Winthrop led from the opening possession to the final horn — with Chandler Vaudrin collecting yet another triple-double in the process — in a dominating, 83-54 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Big South Conference tournament.
“I thought our defensive effort was very good, and the numbers reflect that,” Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey told reporters Monday night. “It was nice to see the ball go in early, and it got us off to a good start.”
Winthrop (21-1) showed few ill effects from not having played since sweeping High Point in the Millis Center 10 days earlier. The Eagles raced out to an early lead on the strength of their usual fast-paced game, with a Mike Anumba triple stretching the top-seeded side’s margin to 20 with 11:18 to play in the first period. That advantage stretched as far as 24 later in the period.
High Point (9-15) knocked down seven of its final 10 first-half tries to snip the lead to 16 at 42-26. First-team All-Conference performer John-Michael Wright keyed the charge, scoring nine of his club’s final 15 points before the horn.
The Eagles again turned up the heat to start the second period, riding a 12-5 burst to stretch the lead once more past 20. Kyle Zunic then splashed a triple halfway through the closing period to give the Eagles a 31-point lead, which was one of two plays in a 17-second span that brought the socially-distanced Winthrop faithful to their feet.
The second featured a thunderous fast-break dunk by DJ Burns that compelled High Point coach Tubby Smith to request a 30-second stoppage. The jam helped bring closure to a contest that had seemed to hold little doubt for its majority.
“(The dunk) just felt good,” commented Burns. “It really felt good to have that toward the end and really just put ourselves in a position to take over the game completely, take their hearts, and get the win.”
Were that not enough, Vaudrin extended his national triple-double lead.
Vaudrin exited the game to a huge round of applause with just over six minutes to play, then returned two minutes later and dished a gorgeous helper to Adonis Arms on a back-cut that afforded the 10th assist the Ohio native tallied on the night. He then left — again — to a standing ovation. The triple-double was Vaudrin’s third this season, but the Big South Player of the Year bestowed the praise on his teammates.
“We’re just trying to win. It was a good game, and they felt like they needed me to come back in for another possession, so I did,” Vaudrin recalled. “Luckily, Adonis made a layup, which is cool.”
Winthrop placed four scorers in double figures, led by Adonis Arms’s 15 points in 21 minutes of reserve duty. Burns tallied 12 and contributed five rebounds, while Vaudrin and Charles Falden added 10 apiece. Winthrop dished 24 assists on 28 made baskets, knocking down 12 threes in the victory. Point guard Russell Jones Jr. recorded 10 of those assists, marking the first time in Big South tournament history two teammates have each recorded 10 assists in a contest.
John-Michael Wright led High Point, scoring 17 in a losing effort for the Panthers. Wright connected on 6-of-17 tries from the field but managed just one three-pointer in seven attempts.
“John-Michael Wright is a phenomenal offensive player,” Kelsey commented. “We talked about trying to make him labor to score and make his shots tough, and I thought we did that tonight.”
Winthrop advances to Thursday’s semifinal round and will host fifth-seeded Longwood. The Lancers took down fourth-seeded UNC Asheville, 77-61, on the road Monday in quarterfinal action. Tip time is slated for 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 10:37 PM.