Winthrop bounces 2nd higher seed in row, beats UNC Asheville 80-79 to reach Big South final
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Keon Johnson scored the last five points as fourth-seeded Winthrop continues its giant-killer run through the Big South tournament, knocking off No. 2 seed UNC Asheville 80-79 in a semifinal on Saturday. The Eagles ousted top seed High Point with a last-second shot Friday.
The Eagles (20-12) advance to Sunday's championship for the first time since 2010.
Johnson, a freshman, finished with 16 points and hit a pair of jumpers with less than 2 minutes to play. Both scores came after Asheville misses. Larry Brown rebounded a miss that led to a Johnson jumper that propelled the Eagles into the lead, 78-77. Next time down the floor, Joab Jerome rebounded an Asheville miss and again Johnson struck at the other end for an 80-77 edge.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Twenty of Winthrop's 26 rebounds were off the defensive glass.
The Bulldogs (17-15) missed a driving layup and a putback in the final 10 seconds.