Winthrop Shoots Down Highlanders

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Winthrop sophomore Torrell Martin score a career-high 22 points to lead Winthrop to a 74-54 Big South win over Radford Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum. (Box Score)

Martin was perfect from the field, hitting 8-of-8, 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. He was joined in double figures by James Shuler, who scored 11 for Winthrop. Chris Gaynor had eight assists and Billy Houston blocked five shots for the Eagles.

The Highlanders, who trailed by 18 at the break and as much as 21 early in the second half, tried to mount a comeback, shaving seven off the Winthrop lead, but 13 was as close as the Highs would get in the second half. Poor shooting plagued RU throughout the game, as they finished at 33.3 percent. The Eagles were hot from the field, hitting on 57.7 percent.

Junior Whit Holcomb-Faye (Winston-Salem, N.C.) paced Radford with 17 points and three assists. RU leading scorer sophomore Chris Oliver (Kernersville, N.C.) was held to eight points, although he led Radford on the glass with six rebounds.

It was the second straight Big South loss for RU, who falls to 1-3 in League play and 6-9 overall. The Highlanders have dropped six of their last seven games. The Eagles, who have won four of their last five, improve to 12-5, 3-1 in the Big South.

Radford struggled in the first half, shooting 33.3 percent from the field. Winthrop shot 57.7 percent in the first half, including a blistering 63.6 percent from beyond the arc. Torrell Martin was 4-for-4 for WU from three-point land, scoring 14 in the first half. Winthrop also crashed the glass in the first half, outrebounding RU 20-8.

Radford will stay on the road for its next game, facing in-state rival VMI Wednesday at 7:00 pm in Lexington, Va. The Eagles will also be on the road on Wednesday, traveling to Birmingham-Southern for an 8:00 pm eastern tip.