Winthrop Tops USIU

Kevin Bradshaw, who leads the nation with a 33.9 points-per-game scoring average, scored a game-high 34 points but U.S. International dropped its 13th consecutive game, 108-81, to Winthrop Saturday.

A season-high 2,126 fans turned out to see Bradshaw shoot. The Gulls (1-17) would have needed 62 points from the high-scoring guard to beat the Eagles, who improved to 4-9 with their third victory in a row.

One week earlier, Bradshaw scored an NCAA-record 72 points in a 186-140 loss to Loyola Marymount. That moved the 6-foot-6 senior to the top of the Division I scoring leaders.

USIU, which trailed, 51-35, at halftime, shot only 34% from the floor in the second half and 39% for the game. Bradshaw was 11 of 33 from the field, 1-9 from three-point range and 11-15 from the free-throw line in 38 minutes.

George Henson scored 24 points and had 10 assists to lead Winthrop, which shot .577 from the floor. Eddie Gay had 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, and Mark Hailey had 20 points and 16 rebounds. The Eagles outrebounded the Gulls, 57-32.

USIU kept the game close for the first 7:39, then watched Winthrop break a 16-16 tie and go on a 23-12 run. Henson had 19 of his 24 points in the first half.

Sophomore Isaac Brown scored 19 points and matched O.J. Bonner for a team-high seven rebounds for the Gulls. Monte Vista High alumnus Jeff Polinsky added 10. Mike Sterner, USIU’s 6-11 senior center, fouled out with one point and one rebound.