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 | 0-0 | - | 7-1 |
| Longwood | 0-0 | - | 6-2 |
| Radford | 0-0 | - | 6-2 |
| Presbyterian | 0-0 | - | 5-3 |
| Winthrop | 0-0 | - | 5-3 |
| Gardner-Webb | 0-0 | - | 3-3 |
| UNC Asheville | 0-0 | - | 2-3 |
| South Carolina Upstate | 0-0 | - | 2-7 |
| Charleston Southern | 0-0 | - | 1-6 |
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 0-0 | - | 6-0 |
| Bradley | 0-0 | - | 6-1 |
| Belmont | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Murray State | 0-0 | - | 4-2 |
| Northern Iowa | 0-0 | - | 3-2 |
| Valparaiso | 0-0 | - | 3-2 |
| Illinois State | 0-0 | - | 4-3 |
| Missouri State | 0-0 | - | 4-3 |
| UIC | 0-0 | - | 4-3 |
| Indiana State | 0-0 | - | 3-3 |
| Evansville | 0-0 | - | 3-4 |
| Southern Illinois | 0-0 | - | 2-5 |
Men's College Basketball News
