Big South Conference Tournament Recaps

Conway, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Keon Johnson scored 15 points and Keon Moore added 14 with eight rebounds, leading Winthrop to a 77-65 win over Liberty in the first round of the Big South Tournament.

Andre Smith and Joab Jerome each chipped in 14 points for the Eagles (18-12), who have won three in a row and advanced to face North top seed High Point in Friday’s quarterfinals. Winthrop hasn’t won the Big South title since capturing its 10th championship in 2010.

Andrew Smith scored 17 points and Joe Retic contributed 15 for Liberty (11-21), which won last year’s Big South championship.

The Flames raced out to a 17-5 lead just under six minutes into the contest, but the Eagles countered with a 19-4 run and grabbed a 24-21 advantage on back-to-back layups by Brandon Vega.

Winthrop led 35-29 at the break and a trey by Andre Smith to start the second half made it a nine-point game, but Liberty battled back and tied it at 51-51 with just under eight minutes remaining.

Johnson snapped the deadlock with consecutive threes and the Flames got only as close as five before Winthrop sealed it at the line in the closing minutes.

The Eagles made each of their 21 free throws and the teams combined for a 33- for-34 effort at the stripe.

Final Score: Radford 78, Presbyterian 73

Conway, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Ya Ya Anderson scored 18 points and Radford held off a late comeback attempt from Presbyterian to record a 78-73 win in the opening round of the Big South Tournament.

Four other players finished in double figures for the Highlanders, with Javonte Green compiling 16 points and nine rebounds and R.J. Price netting 15 points. Jalen Carethers and Rashun Davis added 11 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench.

Radford (21-11), the third seed of the North Division, will take on South No. 2 seed UNC Asheville in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Presbyterian (6-26), which finished a league-worst 2-14 during the regular season, played the Highlanders to a 39-39 tie early in the second half before Radford put together a 19-4 run to move ahead to stay.

The Highlanders maintained a 15-point advantage with under six minutes to play, but a 12-1 spurt that Jordan Downing capped with a 3-pointer brought the Blue Hose within 70-66 with 4:04 left.

It was a one-point game after Presbyterian’s William Truss scored inside with 27 seconds to go to cut the lead to 74-73. Downing misfired from beyond the arc on the Blue Hose’s next possession, though, and Radford sealed the outcome on four free throws from Davis and Green down the stretch.

Downing poured in 32 points in a losing cause, with Reggie Dillard registering 13 points for Presbyterian.

Final Score: Charleston Southern 81, Campbell 71

Conway, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Arlon Harper netted 20 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Charleston Southern to an 81-71 win over Campbell in the first round of the Big South Tournament.

Will Saunders had 18 points, Sheldon Strickland added 14 and Matt Kennedy scored 13 points for the Buccaneers (13-17), who will face South top seed Coastal Carolina in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Reco McCarter tallied 19 points for the Fighting Camels (12-20), who lost their final six games. D.J. Mason and Leek Leek contributed 13 points apiece in defeat.

A CSU 9-2 run highlighted by two 3s from Saunders around a Kennedy trey brought the Bucs within four with 6 1/2 minutes gone in the final frame. Later, CSU used a 15-6 surge to go ahead 70-67 and remained in the lead.

The Fighting Camels came back within a point with 4:26 to go. At that point, Campbell began to foul and send the Bucs to the line. CSU finished the game with an 11-2 differential and the Fighting Camels had no answer.

Campbell led by one, 18-17, just under eight minutes into the game before an 18-5 tear staked them a 14-point lead with just over three minutes left in the half. The Buccaneers answered with an 11-6 run to pull within 42-33 at the break.

Final Score: Gardner-Webb 81, Longwood 65

Conway, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Six players scored in double-figures to lead Gardner-Webb to an 81-65 victory over Longwood in the first round of the Big South Tournament on Wednesday.

Tyrell Nelson scored 15, Onzie Branch had 13 and Jarvis Davis added 11 points in reserve roles for the Runnin’ Bulldogs (18-14), who will face North No. 2 seed VMI in Friday’s Quarterfinals.

Tyler Strange and Jerome Hill each chipped in 12 points, with Hill adding 16 rebounds. Donta Harper pitched in 10 points as well for Gardner-Webb.

Tristan Carey tallied 18 points, seven boards and four steals for the Lancers (8-24), who lost their last five. Karl Ziegler and Lucas Woodhouse added 14 and 10 points, respectively in defeat.

With 13:30 left in the first half the teams played to a 10-point stalemate before the Runnin’ Bulldogs went on a 12-3 burst to go ahead by nine. Longwood answered with five straight, but Gardner-Webb wrapped up the half with a 19-6 tear.

With 17:12 remaining in the contest, Longwood drew within 10 points, however, that was the closest they would get the rest of the way. The Runnin’ Bulldogs led by as many as 23 in the final frame.

Categorized in: NCAA Basketball