Winthrop beats Longwood 71-58, advances to championship

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Keon Johnson scored 15 points as fifth-seeded Winthrop beat ninth-seeded Longwood 71-58 in the Big South semifinals on Saturday.

Keon Moore added 14 points for Winthrop (19-12), while Xavier Cooks and Andre Smith both chipped in 11 apiece. The Eagles will face either third-seeded Coastal Carolina or seventh-seeded Gardner-Webb in the championship on Sunday.

Longwood (11-23) trailed by 14 points with 8:38 remaining, but a quick six points closed the Lancers within nine. Moore and Johnson answered with six-straight points and Smith added a free throw to go up by 15 with 5:08 left to play.

Leron Fisher and Quincy Taylor combined for 46 of Longwood’s points, finishing with 23 apiece. Shaquille Johnson — who recorded a double-double when the Lancers became the first No. 9 seed to head to the Big South semifinals with an upset of top-seeded Charleston Southern — finished with just four points on 1-of-10 shooting.