ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop freshman guard Charles Falden said late Saturday afternoon that the message from his coach, Pat Kelsey, was clear:  get back to the “do what we do” mentality.  It didn’t take long for that to take effect.

Winthrop placed four players in double figures on the way to a convincing 106-65 win over visiting Central Penn before a reported Homecoming crowd of 1,968 at Winthrop Coliseum.

“It’s good to get a ‘W’,” said Kelsey after the game. “I was really pleased with how we responded in practice the last couple of days, since the Colorado State game (an 80-76 loss in Fort Collins Tuesday).”

The Eagles took control from the jump, as back-to-back Kyle Zunic triples put Winthrop ahead 6-0 after its first two possessions.  That lead swelled to 13-0 before the first media break, following another Zunic trey.  Winthrop (1-2) continued to pull away, quickly advancing its lead over the 20-point mark.  Two Zunic free throws at the 2:40 mark expanded the margin to 31, and the visiting Knights managed just two buckets and a free throw before the interval, giving Winthrop a 59-22 lead at the horn.  The Eagles connected on 21-of-33 first-half tries (63.6 percent), including a 10-for-16 effort (62.5 percent) from distance.  Central Penn, meanwhile, was held to just 24.1 percent in the period, committing 11 turnovers to Winthrop’s two.

A Zunic layup on Winthrop’s second possession of the closing half stretched the Eagles lead to 41, at 64-23.  A Charles Falden take moved the margin to 50 at 88-38 just before the nine-minute mark.  The Knights went on a 14-3 run late in the second half, reducing the home side’s lead, but the burst came way too late for the visitors.

“This game really got the whole team’s confidence up,” said Falden.  “We needed this win.  We lost the first two games, and we [weren’t] doing what we do.  Tonight, we really came out and did what we do.”

Walk-on senior guard Matt Erps, a former team manager, entered late in the game, to a rousing response from the crowd.  Erps finished the game with two rebounds and three assists in five minutes of action.  “Matt Erps is just one of those guys that, if there’s any business out there hiring in the professional world, hire that kid and thank me later,” said Kelsey.  “He just goes about everything he does with everything he’s got.  (It was) rewarding for me to see the fruits of all his labor.”

Zunic’s 17 points guided the Eagles, as the freshman knocked down 5-of-8 tries (4-of-7 from three) in 21 minutes.  All-Big South performer Xavier Cooks recorded a double-double in the first half, finishing with 14 points and 11 boards.  Freshman Charles Falden poured in 13 points in 16 minutes, with guard Anders Broman adding 12.  Winthrop shot 56.1 percent for the game (37-for-68), including 19-for-32 (59.4 percent) from three.  Those 19 made threes set a school record.  The Eagles recorded 20 assists on 37 made shots overall.

Central Penn shot just 29 percent (18-for-62) from the field, knocking down only two of 21 three-point tries (9.5 percent).  Joel Zola scored 20 for the Knights, with Juwan Gooding adding 18 and Randy Dupont 12.  Central Penn committed 19 turnovers, tallying just three assists.

Winthrop returns to play Tuesday morning against Mars Hill University.  That game is scheduled for an 11:00 (Eastern) start.

WINTHROP 106, CENTRAL PENN 65

CENTRAL PENN (0-0): Zola 4-12 11-12 20, Davis 0-6 5-6 5, Dupont 5-13 1-1 12, Kellman 0-1 0-0 0, Baylor 2-6 1-2 5, Chapman 0-1 0-0 0, Lawrence 0-2 1-2 1, Edwards 1-3 0-0 2, Gooding 5-14 8-12 18, Segev 1-3 0-0 2, Blanc 0-1 0-0 0, Posey 0-0 0-0. Totals 18-62 27-35 65.

WINTHROP (1-2): A. Broman 4-6 2-2 12, Cooks 6-10 1-5 14, B. Broman 3-4 0-0 9, Ukaegbu 1-1 0-0 2, Zunic 5-8 3-4 17, Smith 2-5 4-4 8, Pupavac 1-2 0-0 2, Blake 2-5 0-0 5, Hill 2-3 0-0 6, Falden 5-9 0-0 13, Pickett 2-3 1-3 5, Awad 2-6 0-0 6, Ferguson 1-3 2-2 4, Poole 1-1 0-0 3, Erps 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-66 13-20 106.

Halftime — Winthrop 59-22. 3-Point Goals—Central Penn 2-21 (Zola 1-6, Davis 0-1, Dupont 1-5, Lawrence 0-2, Edwards 0-1, Gooding 0-5, Segev 0-1), Winthrop 19-32 (A. Broman 2-3, Cooks 1-1, B. Broman 3-4, Zunic 4-7, Smith 0-1, Blake 1-4, Hill 2-3, Falden 3-4, Awad 2-4, Poole 1-1). Fouled Out — None. Rebounds — Winthrop 46 (Cooks 11), Central Penn 37 (Kellman/Baylor/Gooding 5). Assists — Winthrop 20 (Zunic 4), Central Penn 3 (Zola/Davis/Gooding 1). Total Fouls — Winthrop 23, Central Penn 18. Technical — NA. A — 1968.

Points in the Paint —Winthrop 30, Central Penn 24. Points off Turnovers —Winthrop 16, Central Penn 11. Second-Chance Points — Winthrop 14, Central Penn 9. Fast Break Points — Winthrop 10, Central Penn 2. Bench Points — Winthrop 52, Central Penn 23.