Eagles, Martin Sail Past Blue Hose 76-51

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Torrell Martin’s game-high 19 points and eight rebounds led Winthrop to a 76-51 home victory over visiting Presbyterian College on Wednesday night at the Winthrop Coliseum.

Presbyterian (4-1), playing its only Division I opponent of the season, will join the Big South Conference next year and were able to get a first-hand look at what the Blue Hose can expect when PC enters its first season as a full NCAA Division I member.

Travis Sligh showed that he could hang with the big boys as Sligh finished the night as the Blue Hose’s leading scorer with a career-high 18 points off the bench, just one point shy of matching Martin’s game-high.  The Columbia, S.C. native was flawless on the court, going 6-of-6 from the floor.

Sligh, who entered the 2006 season with only one career three-point field goal, went 5-for-5 from downtown, while finishing with a team-high five rebounds.

Winthrop (5-2) jumped out to an early 16-2 lead just 5:34 into the game and the Blue Hose never came closer than six points the rest of the way.  PC cut the lead to six on a Grant Herren jumper with 11:30 left remaining in the first half before the Eagles answered with a 13-3 run over the next four minutes to go up by 16 with just over six minutes to play.  Presbyterian made its last run in the final minutes of the half and narrowed the gap to seven at the break with Winthrop leading 35-28.

After going scoreless in its first three possessions of the second half, Winthrop exploded on a 10-0 run and never looked back en route to the 25-point victory.  PC ended its drought when Sligh nailed a 3-pointer with 13:05 on the clock.

The Eagles blistered the nets shooting a season best 58.3 percent from the field and placed four starters in double figures.  Joining Martin was Michael Jenkins with 14, Chris Gaynor with a season-high 13 and Phillip Williams who chipped in 11 points.

Head coach Gregg Marshall’s trademark defensive pressure proved too much for the Blue Hose as they coughed up 21 turnovers that led to 24 points for the Eagles and struggled to find open shots.  PC was limited to 40 percent shooting from the field, which marks the fifth contest this year the Eagles have done just that.  All five games have been wins for Winthrop.

Herren finished with 10 points joining Sligh in double figures for PC, who next plays Georgia College & State at home on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.

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