Winthrop wins Big South title

Mar 9, 2008 - 4:53 AM By PA SportsTicker

A spectacular effort by Michael Jenkins carried Winthrop back to the NCAA Tournament.

Jenkins scored 33 points Saturday as the second-seeded Eagles clinched their fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth with a 66-48 victory over top seed North Carolina-Asheville in the Big South Conference title game.

The bid from the Big South was one of three up for grabs on Saturday, with Austin Peay winning the Ohio Valley Conference crown and Belmont taking the Atlantic Sun championship.

A senior guard, Jenkins matched the mark for most points in a Big South championship game as Winthrop (22-11) became the second team to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

"The pressure's been unbelievable," said Randy Peele, who is in his first season as coach of the Eagles. "For us, what we were focused on was the Big South tournament.

"I wanted them to be composed and have fun. I told them to embrace opposition or be afraid of it. These kids were confident but loose. The true mark of competitiveness is being at your best when your best is needed."

Saturday's three winners joined Cornell, which last week captured its first Ivy League title in 20 years. The Ivy League is the only conference that does not have a postseason tournament.

Winthrop, which improved to 8-1 in the Big South final, is the first No. 2 seed to win the event in seven years.

"I want to congratulate Winthrop and what they did," UNC-Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach said. "I felt like we let the game get away from us."

Last season, the Eagles upset sixth-seeded Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to third-seeded Oregon in the second round.

The Eagles limited 7-7 Kenny George, the tallest player in Division I, to 13 points. UNC-Asheville (23-9) was playing in its first Big South title contest in five years.

"The last game we played vs. (UNC-Asheville), they had 26 in the first half and 18 of those were off layups and dunks," Peele said. "(Experience) certainly makes a difference in our approach to the tournament."

"This is very difficult. I'm real disappointed we couldn't finish this off and get to the NCAAs," Biedenbach said. "Our offense didn't move well enough and we didn't move the ball enough."

In the Ohio Valley, top-seeded Austin Peay rolled past Tennessee State, 82-64, for its first NCAA berth since 2003 and sixth overall.

Senior guard Todd Babington scored 24 points for the Governors (24-10), who will enter the "Big Dance" with 11 wins in their last 12 games.

Attempting to become the first .500 team since Lamar in 2000 to reach the NCAAs, Tennessee State (15-17) went just 4-of-21 on 3-pointers in seeing its surprising run end. The Tigers knocked off both No. 3 Morehead State and second seed Murray State en route to the final.

In the Atlantic Sun, Belmont claimed its third straight league title with a 79-61 victory over second seed Jacksonville.

The top-seeded Bruins (25-8) shot a sizzling 61 percent in the first half to take a 45-23 lead at the half and cruised thereafter. Junior swingman Shane Dansby led four players in double figures with 16 points.

Jacksonville (18-13) was attempting to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986.

One more automatic berth will be decided on Sunday, as the Missouri Valley Conference conducts its title game.