Winthrop on top of the Big South after Asheville win

Jimmy Gavin has made quite an impression on the Winthrop University community in his one year in Rock Hill.

The fifth-year senior’s impressive personality and cappuccino-smooth offensive abilities have won him plenty of fans. He also has a wry sense of humor that he flashed just seconds after making the game-saving steal during the Eagles’ 81-80 win over Asheville Saturday afternoon.

“I came here to play defense,” Gavin told Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey.

Let’s clear this up now: Gavin did not come to Winthrop (20-7, 12-4) because of his defense.

But it was that facet of his game that saved an Eagles’ win, one that moves them into sole possession of first place in the Big South Conference heading into the final week of the regular season, and also clinched the first 20-win regular season in nine years.

“I don’t have much hair left,” said Kelsey, whose team is 14-1 at home this season, the best home record since 2006-07. “But those are the games that make you lose it quicker.”

Gavin scored a game-high 26 points on the day that he and fellow senior transfer Zach Price were honored by the Eagles program.

But it was his late steal that will live long in the memory. Asheville’s Kevin Vannatta calmly hosed a 3 to cut Winthrop’s lead to one with about five seconds left, before the Eagles inexplicably threw the ball inbounds to Bulldog Dwayne Sutton. After the freshman extended his arms to nab the wayward pass, he plowed ahead but never got his footing and ended up dribbling the ball right into Gavin’s lap. Gavin made the pilfer and ran out the clock, the senior so locked in that he was able to deliver a joke amidst the celebration.

“That’s a tough loss,” said Asheville (18-10, 11-5) coach Nick McDevitt. “Two really good teams that played hard. Somebody was gonna lose that game.”

Winthrop led 42-36 at the end of a first half that predicted the nervy ending. Like the two teams’ first encounter, the Bulldogs were able to poke their long arms in front for steals, or pressure Winthrop into poor decisions. Nine first half turnovers were the result, a stat that offset the Eagles’ 57 percent shooting.

The visitors had a number of pick-6’s, turnovers that they took the other way for buckets or fouls and free throws. A Trae Bryant steal and finish gave Asheville a 28-27 lead with 6 minutes, 11 seconds left, before Gavin hosed a step-back 3 to reclaim the lead for Winthrop, one of nine first half lead changes.

The Eagles out-scored the visitors 12-6 in the last four-plus minutes, and Gavin’s banked 3-pointer with about 20 seconds sent Winthrop to the break up six. Winthrop made the visitors pay for their aggressive defense in the second half, piling up fouls and getting into the free throw bonus with 11-plus minutes left to play. Adam Pickett’s two foul shots gave Winthrop its largest lead of the game, 63-50, with 10 minutes, 15 seconds remaining.

Asheville roared back with the help of a lengthy Winthrop field goal drought. Inside the last minute, the Bulldogs forced a 10-second back court violation on the Eagles, before Sutton drained a 3 to cut the lead to two, 79-77, with 37 seconds left. That set the table for the hair-raising finale.

Turning point

With a six-second difference between the shot clock and the game clock, Johnson dribbled the clock away, finally attacking the rim, scoring and fouling - all while getting hammered to the deck - with 11 seconds left.

“I like timed situations like that,” said Johnson, whose was banged up after the game, though uninjured. “I have a lot of confidence to make those kinds of plays.”

Johnson crucially converted the free throw to make it 81-77. Vannatta then hit his 3, before Winthrop’s Xavier Cooks tried to throw a cross-court inbounds pass to Bjorn Broman that Sutton intercepted. Gavin popped up to steal the ball and race the other way as the horn sounded on an 11th Eagles’ win in 12 games.

“Our player, Sutton, just lost his footing and tripped, lost handle of the ball and from there I really couldn’t tell you,” said McDevitt. “Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce the right way.”

Critical

Saturday’s contest pitted an attacking offense against an attacking defense, making for entertaining viewing.

Asheville’s been the Big South’s best defensive team the entire season in part because of how expansive its scheme is. The Bulldogs get up in the opponent, forcing them to start their offense further out than desired and also actively filling passing lanes for steals, a ploy used to great effect in overturning a 23-point Winthrop lead for a one-point win back in January.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen a team on tape since I’ve been a head coach that touches the ball as much,” said Kelsey. “You have to be secure with the ball at all times.”

When the Eagles were able to penetrate Asheville’s advanced first line of defense - Keon Johnson in particular - they got easy baskets, including four first half dunks for Duby Okeke. Johnson had four assists in the first 20 minutes and finished with five.

Star contributions

Gavin hit 4-of-9 from 3 and all six of his free throws for big chunks of his 26 points. Cooks was also crucial, the sophomore staving off early foul trouble to finish with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Johnson added a 31st consecutive double digit-scoring game with 14 points, including his crucial late bucket and free throw. McDevitt entered the media room for his postgame press conference just as Johnson was walking out and the Asheville coach put the Winthrop star in a joking tackle, seemingly the only way the Bulldogs could have prevented Johnson’s late bucket.

“He’s fearless,” Kelsey said. “That dude launches his body at the rim. Sometimes he looks like you splat a bug. He falls in these unbelievably scary ways, and just dusts himself off, gets up and walks to the free throw line. It’s just Keon.”

Vannatta did some of everything for the Bulldogs, scoring 21 points, grabbing six boards and dishing out four assists.

Overheard

“Most important game is the next one, like we’ve preached all season,” said Gavin. “Think that’s the most important thing for this team, stayed focused in the moment.”

“They’re selfless, and their story’s not over yet,” said Kelsey about Price and Gavin.

On deck

Winthrop plays High Point next Thursday at 9 p.m., a game that ESPNU will televise, before hitting the road Saturday in the season finale at Campbell. Asheville hosts Liberty on Thursday.

Box score

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Winthrop on top of the Big South after Asheville win."