Winthrop and Indiana each were merry in advance of a short Christmas break after both earned victories before the holiday.
Before their respective conferences resume play next week, the programs will aim to keep that positive feeling intact when they clash on the Hoosiers’ home floor Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.
Ahead of the teams’ first meeting, Indiana (9-3) has won five of its last six games following a 74-65 win over Chattanooga on Dec. 21.
The Hoosiers have relied on balance and depth, with four players averaging double figures in scoring, eight players averaging at least 19 minutes a game and no player averaging more than 28.7 minutes a contest.
Indiana has been paced in scoring by Malik Reneau (15.1 points per game), Mackenzie Mgbako (13.9), Oumar Ballo (12.4) and Myles Rice (11.0).
The Hoosiers are averaging 78.8 points per game and shooting 32.9 percent from 3-point range.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson said he’s looking for his team to avoid lapses in intensity during games.
“Well, I mean, that’s been a mystery,” Woodson said. “We have had games where we have jumped on teams and we’ve had games where we started slow. So, I got to find even ground somewhere where they come out and start out well and sustain it and the bench comes in and sustains it.”
Winthrop (10-4) has won six of its last seven games, the latest a 102-97 triumph over Mercer on Dec. 21.
The Eagles have no trouble scoring, averaging 86.2 points a game, No. 18 among Division I teams entering Saturday. They are shooting 30.9 percent from 3-point range.
“We have an exciting team,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “We have a team that can score 102 points in regulation. Fun brand of basketball.”
Kelton Talford (14.9), K.J. Doucet (14.0) and Kasen Harrison (13.6) lead Winthrop in scoring.
–Field Level Media
