Winthrop ends 2-game skid by beating Georgia Southern 88-81

Dec 19, 2015, 06:53 pm

STATESBORO, Ga. -- Keon Johnson hit six 3-pointers and scored 30 points to lead Winthrop past Georgia Southern 88-81 on Saturday.

Johnson has scored 20-plus points in three straight games -- and in five of his last seven.

Jimmy Gavin added 20 points and Xavier Cooks had 13 points with 11 rebounds for Winthrop (7-3), which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Clinging to a 56-54 lead with a little more than 12 minutes remaining, Johnson scored 10 straight Winthrop points -- on two 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws -- to make it 66-59 with 8:37 to play.

Then with 2:32 left, Gavin made layups on two straight drives for a 13-point lead. Georgia Southern scored the next seven points, but Gavin, Josh Davenport and Johnson combined to make 6 of 6 free throws in the final 46 seconds.

Tookie Brown led the Eagles (3-6) with 25 points.