The Winthrop University women’s basketball team played its first game of the season last Wednesday in Spartanburg, losing to Wofford College by a score of 65-50.
The Eagles got off to a slow start offensively, scoring just four points in the first five minutes. Those points came at the hands of two Winthrop newcomers: junior transfer Jaelyn Royal and sophomore transfer Tori Hall.
While Wofford shot 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first quarter, the Terriers appeared dominant inside the arc, driving to the basket often and earning five trips to the free throw line. Winthrop’s early struggles left the Eagles facing an eleven-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.
Winthrop began the second quarter with a bit more offensive urgency, scoring four points in the first minute with a layup from junior Maleeah Langstaff and two free throws by sophomore Myra Strickland. Though Strickland started the game 0-for-9 from the field, she began to heat up as the clock ticked down toward halftime, scoring six of Winthrop’s last seven points of the second quarter.
Despite Strickland’s efforts, the Eagles were unable to narrow the gap during the first half, as Wofford’s nine offensive rebounds during the second quarter (compared to Winthrop’s one) allowed the Terriers plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities. With a good 3-point shot for Wofford at the buzzer, the Eagles went to the locker room trailing 36-24.
As the second half got underway, the Eagles looked to be playing their best ball so far. Winthrop’s 12-4 run to start the third quarter reduced the team’s deficit to just four points.
Just as it felt like the momentum may be shifting, Winthrop went cold. The Eagles made just one shot on their final nine attempts to close out the third quarter. Still, Winthrop entered the fourth quarter only down by eight points, meaning a win was not out of reach.
While Winthrop hung around for a few minutes, the fourth quarter was Wofford’s knockout punch. The Terriers outscored the Eagles 19-12 during the game’s final ten-minute frame.
Strickland tallied eight points during the fourth quarter, lifting her to a career-high 24 points. The next highest scorer for the Eagles was Langstaff with eight total points.
Sophomore Sierra Hunter recorded team-highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (three), while her twin sister Sydney Hunter recorded seven rebounds.
Perhaps the biggest area of concern for Winthrop on Wednesday was turnovers. The Eagles gave the ball up 21 times, while Wofford turned the ball over only 14 times.
However, with just five players on the roster who returned from last year’s Winthrop squad, it should not come as a huge surprise that the team lacks the chemistry needed to protect the ball. Fans can expect to see this improve over the course of the season as Interim Head Coach Semeka Randall-Lay determines which players work better together.
One bright spot for the Eagles during their loss to Wofford was that they held Jamari McDavid (who was named to the Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team) to just six points and five rebounds.
Winthrop travels to Orangeburg next to take on South Carolina State University. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. South Carolina State also has a record of 0-1 after suffering an 88-56 loss to Coastal Carolina University on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
