Winthrop University rained three-pointers and free throws on the Missouri State Bears far beyond the Eagles’ year-long accuracy figures and what the Eagles got that was consistent with their season numbers was their 13th straight victory as they rolled past the Bears 77-66 Friday night in Hammons Student Center in the nationally-televised first game of the 2007 O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters.
    Winthrop, Big South Conference champ and an NCAA tournament team six of the past eight years, came into the contest averaging just under eight three-pointers a game with 36 percent accuracy to go with 60 percent shooting from the foul line for the season. What the Eagles got in 40 minutes in Hammons was .519 three-point shooting as they nailed 14-of-27 from beyond the arc, and .864 accuracy from the line on 19-of-22 from the charity stripe.
    In running their season record to 23-4 in their first-ever meeting with Missouri State, the Eagles hit 64 percent from the floor and 62 percent from long range as they took charge of the game shortly after halftime and never looked back.
    Winthrop began its surge late in the first half as the Eagles held the Bears to one basket the last six minutes before intermission. A three-pointer by Michael Jenkins at the buzzer finished cutting a 26-20 Bears’ lead to 28-27 at the break.
    The Eagles then sent home six three-pointers the first nine minutes of the second half as they broke from a 32-32 tie into a 50-41 margin with 11 minutes to play. The Eagles pushed their lead to as many as 15 and then finished off the Bears down the stretch from the foul line, cashing in on 14 of their last 16 free throws.
    The first half saw six lead changes and Missouri State got its 26-20 advantage with a 7-0 run around the seven-minute mark but the Bears couldn’t match baskets with the Eagles from that point on.
    Jenkins hit 7-of-12 from three-point range, the most threes by an individual against a Missouri State team in seven years, and he finished with a game-high 25 points. Craig Bradshaw added 16 for the Eagles.
    Deven Mitchell led the Bears with a career-high 21 points in just 27 minutes of action as he hit 7-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the foul line and collar five rebounds with two blocked shots and three steals. Nathan Bilyeu and Blake Ahearn were the only other Bears scoring in double figures with 10 points each, and Bilyeu led the Bears to a 31-28 rebound margin with six boards.
    The Bears fell to 19-9 for the season as they lost for the fourth time in their last six home games. It was also the 100th all-time Hammons loss for the Bears against 376 wins in 31 years in HSC.
    The Bears return to Missouri Valley Conference play for their final two regular season games next week. The Bears play at Wichita State Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 8:05 p.m. and then conclude the campaign at home next Saturday against Drake.
