Stollings' stars make it four straight for Winthrop
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 7:21PM 
Four more conference games separate Winthrop and the Big South Conference Tournament that takes place on the first weekend of Spring Break. Photo by Sarah Auvil
By David Thackham
thackhamd@mytjnow.com
How much more can you ask from a Winthrop team that comes off a breath-taking upset win over Big South Conference-leading Liberty? Head coach Marlene Stollings and her superstar trio of guards Dequesha McClanahan, Diana Choibekova and Samiya Wright notched a convincing 67-56 victory against the #3 ranked Radford Highlanders to move the Lady Eagles (15-11, 9-5 BSC) into 2nd place in the conference with the playoffs just around the corner.
As the conference competition heats up, poise is on every pair of Eagle lips.
“We’re handling our business,” said Choibekova (16 points, 9 rebounds). “We’re just winning and the other teams are falling, so we’re taking it one by one.”
Winthrop’s win, paired with High Point’s shock buzzer-beater loss to Coastal Carolina, propels the Eagles into a tie for second place with trips to Campbell and High Point’s Panthers on the docket. Winthrop has won five of its last six games, including four straight victories.
“We know we’re going to be in 40 minute games, it’s the time of the year,” Stollings said. “We’re very confident and handling things at a high level. It’s the perfect time for this all to be happening.
Radford entered the Winthrop Coliseum as the nation’s 10th best in steals per game (12.4) and found immediate success, forcing five turnovers in the first ten minutes alone.
Yet a smart zone defense from Winthrop (21-52 FGA, 40.4%) kept the visiting Highlanders at bay, especially their second highest leading scorer, Ashley Buckhannon, who missed all 14 of her open shots.
“A lot of our team is being one and done, getting it out in transition,” McClanahan (21 points, 10 assists) said. “We have to keep a tough defense.”
A 14-2 run early in the 2nd half, including seven from McClanahan, put Winthrop up by 12 with 18 minutes left, a lead the Eagles never let dip below seven for the rest of the contest.
True freshman Taylor Calvert (4-4 FGA) made the biggest defensive impact on the night with 12 boards to add to her eight points. Winthrop is currently 9-3 since adding the Schertz, TX native to the starting lineup.
“I was just waiting for my opportunity,” Calvert said, “and when it came, I knew I just had to do the little things. You have to win all the hustle plays and keep on your toes now.”
The starting five are gelling with surprising efficiency. They contributed all but one point in the Winthrop’s offense, a free throw from Kaitlyn Rubino.
Winthrop now returns to the road for over a week, a prospect that no one is shying from. The Lady Eagles are 4-3 in road conference games this season.
“If we keep our will, our desire, I think we can keep this all together,” said McClanahan.
