Ferguson's career day leads Winthrop over Southern Illinois
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Josh Ferguson set career highs with 26 points and five 3-pointers, and Winthrop made 15 3-pointers to beat Southern Illinois 79-71 on Saturday.
Ferguson grabbed 10 rebounds for his eighth career double-double and Nych Smith added 19 points for the Eagles (7-4).
Austin Awad hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Winthrop the lead for good at 25-23 and Ferguson added another trey to make it a 9-0 run. Three minutes later, Ferguson made the first two of four straight Eagles 3-pointers and Winthrop led 45-29 after the 12-0 run.
Southern Illinois (7-6) broke the deficit into single digits with a 6-0 run to get within 62-53 in the middle of the second half. Ferguson and Kyle Zunic answered with back-to-back 3s to push the lead to 15 and the Eagles held off the Salukis until another rally brought Southern Illinois to within 75-68 in the final minute.
Sean Lloyd had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Eric McGill scored 18 for Southern Illinois.
Game Information
2024-25 Big South Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point | 2-1 | - | 14-4 |
| Longwood | 2-1 | - | 13-5 |
| Gardner-Webb | 2-1 | - | 7-9 |
| Radford | 1-1 | 0.5 | 11-6 |
| UNC Asheville | 1-1 | 0.5 | 10-6 |
| South Carolina Upstate | 1-1 | 0.5 | 5-12 |
| Winthrop | 1-2 | 1 | 11-7 |
| Presbyterian | 1-2 | 1 | 8-10 |
| Charleston Southern | 1-2 | 1 | 5-13 |
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | 4-1 | - | 13-3 |
| Drake | 3-2 | 1 | 13-2 |
| Belmont | 3-2 | 1 | 11-5 |
| UIC | 3-2 | 1 | 10-5 |
| Valparaiso | 3-2 | 1 | 10-6 |
| Murray State | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Indiana State | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Northern Iowa | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Evansville | 3-2 | 1 | 6-10 |
| Illinois State | 2-3 | 2 | 10-6 |
| Missouri State | 0-5 | 4 | 7-9 |
| Southern Illinois | 0-5 | 4 | 5-11 |
Men's College Basketball News
