Men’s Basketball
The men only have one more game left in conference play before the Big South Tournament begins. The team is currently 9-4 and in second place behind Radford.
“The season has had its ups and downs so far, but the team is really playing well now during the conference season,” said senior guard Bjorn Broman. “We’re working hard every day in practice and it’s carrying over into games.” The next game is on Feb. 28 at Hampton.
“My expectation for us is to finish these last few games strong and be ready for the conference tournament,” said Broman.
The 2019 Big South Men’s Basketball Championship is the tournament to win the conference and earn a place in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. It begins on March 5.
“We’re really hoping to win the conference tournament and get to the NCAA tournament. That’s the main accomplishment,” said sophomore guard Kyle Zunic.
Winthrop has made 10 tournament appearances, and their most recent one was in 2017. The Eagles earned a 13-seed, which was tied for the second best seed in program history. The men battled 4th-seeded Butler but fell 64-76.
Highlights from this season include an early season non-conference game. The team traveled to Carbondale, Illinois to play Southern Illinois.
“My favorite moment from the season would be when we beat Southern Illinois,” said sophomore Kyle Zunic. “It was great for our confidence.”
Women’s Basketball
The women have three games left in their conference season. The team is 6-7 and is ranked seventh place in the Big South Conference.
“The season is going pretty good, better than I expected actually,” said freshman guard Jah’Che Whitfield.
The Eagles’ last win was on Feb. 9 against Presbyterian. Whitfield scored a team-high of 16 points.
“I think what I am doing well is bringing energy to the team and contributing however I can to help us win,” said Whitfield. “What I think I can do better is uplift the team when we are down and we need to come back because the game’s not over until there’s triple zeros on the board.”
The Eagles have lost their last two games to Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville. Their final conference games are on March 2 against Campbell, March 6 at Charleston Southern, and March 9 at Hampton.
The first round of the 2019 Big South Women’s Basketball Championship begins on March 12. All 11 teams compete, and the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds host the quarterfinals and semifinals. The No. 6-8 seeds host the first round.
“I hope the season ends off with us winning at least 15 games and winning a tournament,” said Whitfield.
To keep up more with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, follow Winthrop Athletics on Twitter and Instagram @WUEagles.
