Ladies’s Basketball Journey to Gardner-Webb for Highway Take a look at

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Winthrop University ladies’s basketball ships as much as Boiling Springs on Saturday inside Paul Porter Arena. 

WINTHROP 

• This matchup between Gardner-Webb and Winthrop would be the forty third installment within the sequence, the primary matchup coming in 1980, with the Eagles taking house the victory, 82-60. 
• Winthrop cannot appear to determine the Runnin’ Bulldogs at Boiling Springs, having GWU maintain a 16-4 report relationship again to 2002. 
• Ryiah Wilson leads the Big South in whole steals, with a mark of 61 steals, additionally rating at thirtieth within the NCAA. 
• Madison Ruff set a brand new career-high mark, with 19 factors on 7-of-13 capturing in opposition to Radford.  
• Tocarra Johnson has been a drive inside in convention play, rating third in BPG with 1.1 and fifth in RPG with 7.5. 
• Since the beginning of convention play, Amourie Porter has been on a tear, averaging 18.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG. Porter presently ranks second of the convention in FG% and third in PPG, twice tying her career-high of 25 factors. 
• After beginning the 12 months 9-0 when scoring 63+ factors, the Eagles have misplaced back-to-back video games after eclipsing that whole.    
• Madison Ruff sealed the win in opposition to USC Upstate, a game-clinching layup with below 20 seconds, protecting a six-game streak of the street group within the WIN vs. UPST sequence profitable.   
• After profitable three-straight, the Eagles ended the 12 months on a four-game shedding streak however snapped it in opposition to UNC Asheville on the street.   
• Amourie Porter tallied her second 20-point efficiency of the 2025-26 season in opposition to Virginia on Dec. 20, scoring 22 factors and going an ideal 9-of-9 from the charity stripe.   
• Ryiah Wilson notched her new career-high in opposition to Charlotte on Wednesday, dropping 16 factors with additionally a career-high three three-pointers.   
• Ryiah Wilson led the Eagles in opposition to #18/18 Tennessee, ending with twelve factors.   
• Mya Pierfax had her double-figure scoring streak snapped at eleven video games in opposition to Tennessee   
• The Eagles are off to its finest begin within the non-conference stretch since 2013, with seven wins. The final time a non-Randall Lay led group had six-plus wins in non-conference was 2013-14, when the Eagles made their first NCAA event look.   
• Semeka Randall Lay returns to Knoxville following her enjoying days for the Lady Vols, after enjoying there final season, falling 114-50.   
• The Eagles have had their finest ten recreation begins in back-to-back years because the 2013-14 season, with marks of 6-4 and 6-4.   
• Mya Pierfax, Tocarra Johnson, Amourie Porter, and Madison Ruff all went off final week, with the quartet averaging 15.5+ PPG within the Eagles two video games.   
• Six Eagles reached double figures in opposition to Johnson & Wales with Tocarra Johnson, Mya Pierfax, Amourie Porter, Madison Ruff, Ryiah Wilson, and Cori Lard all teaming up for 10+ factors, the primary time since 2017 in opposition to NC Wesleyan that Winthrop had six scorers in double figures.   
• Tocarra Johnson and Mya Pierfax went off in opposition to Johnson & Wales on Wednesday, with Johnson scoring 23 factors and 14 rebounds, and Pierfax scoring 20 with 4 threes.   
• Tocarra Johnson put collectively her finest week in an Eagle Uniform. Johnson averaged 16.0 PPG on .583 capturing whereas completely dominating the glass with 14.0 RPG serving to information the Eagles to a 2-0 week as the one obtainable large. In the win over Johnson & Wales, Johnson put collectively a Winthrop career-high mark of 23 factors and grabbing 14 rebounds, seven of which have been offensive. She then adopted that up with one other efficiency controlling the boards in opposition to UNC Wilmington, knocking down a game-high 14 rebounds whereas including on 9 factors to raise the Eagles to their finest begin via eleven video games since 2013.  
• The Eagles reached 100 factors for the primary time this season in opposition to Johnson & Wales. The final time they did so was in opposition to Paine final 12 months.   
• Mya Pierfax was named to the Coast 2 Coast Music City Classic All-Tournament group, together with her 14.5 PPG efficiency within the two-day event.   
• Madison Ruff reached a career-high mark of 16 factors in opposition to the win over SIU.   
• Pierfax powered Winthrop’s offense all through the week of Nov. 17, averaging 14.5 factors whereas pulling down threes at a scorching .462 clip on 6-of-13 capturing. She set the tone in opposition to No. 2 South Carolina with 16 factors on .500 capturing, then backed it up lower than 24 hours later with one other double-digit effort, ending with 13 in opposition to Clinton on Friday.   
• Wilson was an issue for opposing offenses all week, averaging 9.0 factors and 5.5 rebounds whereas handing over one of the disruptive defensive performances Winthrop has seen in years. She erupted for a career-high 12 factors in opposition to Clinton on Friday and almost posted a triple-double, piling up eight rebounds and a staggering eight steals. Her eight-steal outing was this system’s most since Jada Ryce logged 10 in December 2023, and the primary by a Winthrop freshman since Dequesha McClanahan in 2010.   
• Amourie Porter sunk fourteen free throws within the win in opposition to Queens on Nov. 15, marking the primary time an Eagle has revamped 13 free throws since Jennifer Churchill (2/12/97) at UNC Asheville and Kim Segars (11/26/88) vs Fordham. The most up-to-date time an Eagle has come near that mark was Dequesha McClanahan (11/30/13) at Robert Morris.   
• Naomi Wilson grew to become the primary Eagle since Blessing Okoh did so in opposition to Presbyterian in 2024 to report 3 blocks in a recreation.   
• Ryiah Wilson has offered juice and defensive depth to the Eagles’ bench unit early in her freshman season. Her three steals in opposition to Chicago State marked the primary Eagle freshman since 2023 to report three steals in a contest. 
• With her 15-point 16-rebound efficiency in opposition to Chicago State on Wednesday, Amourie Porter is the primary Eagle to report a double-double since herself within the Big South Tournament in opposition to Charleston Southern Last 12 months.   
• Amourie Porter was tabbed with Big South Preseason All-Conference First Team honors   
• The 5-foot-10 guard/ahead began all 31 contests, capturing 46.1 p.c from the sphere and 39.3 p.c from past the arc. Porter additionally proved efficient on the glass, averaging 6.3 rebounds per recreation whereas including 77 assists, 22 blocks, and 66 steals.   
• Porter held the thirteenth finest free throw proportion within the nation with a mark of .890 p.c, additionally pacing the Big South.   
• She is the primary Eagle to garner first group honors since Erica Williams in 2017, and she or he was additionally the recipient of the Big South’s first ever Newcomer of the Year award.   
• For the Eagles, they solely return 5 letterwinners from final season, Amourie Porter, Mya Pierfax, Ar’Mani Reid, Jada Ryce, and Persais Williams.   
• Under Head Coach Semeka Randall Lay, the Eagles have improved each season after beginning with six wins in 2020-21, Randall Lay collected the very best win whole of her profession final season with 16 wins.   
• After lacking the 2024-25 season with harm, standout guard Jada Ryce returns to the court docket. Ryce led the Eagles in scoring in 2023-24, averaging 11.1 PPG and incomes an Big South Honorable Mention All-Conference nod.   
• Winthrop checked in at 4th within the Big South Preseason Poll.   
• After not scratching the highest 4 spots since 2015-16, the Eagles have now garnered a second-straight prime 4 putting.   
• The Eagles welcome in eight newcomers, three freshmen and 5 transfers   
• Among the transfers are Nessa Walsh (Purdue Northwest), Madison Ruff (Mount Saint Mary’s), Naomi Wilson (Weatherford College), Cori Lard (Miami of Ohio), and Tocarra Johnson (Blinn College)  
• Randall Lay led the group to 16 wins final season, her most on the helm of the Eagles   
• The Eagles solely return 37% of its scoring from final season      

SEASON HONORS  

Amourie Porter – Preseason All-Conference First Team  

Mya Pierfax – Music City Classic All-Tournament Team

CAREER MILESTONES  

Jada Ryce  

• Six rebounds away from 300 profession rebounds
• Reached 725 profession factors in opposition to High Point
• Two video games away from 100 profession video games

Cori Lard

• Two factors away from 400 profession factors
• Reached 50 profession three-pointers in opposition to Radford

Mya Pierfax

• Reached 400 profession factors in opposition to Radford
• Three rebounds away from 100 profession

Amourie Porter  

• Two factors away from 950 profession factors
• One rebound away from 475 rebounds

Madison Ruff 

• Reached 450 profession factors in opposition to Presbyterian
• Reached 200 profession rebounds in opposition to Radford

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
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WINTHROP IMPACT NETWORK

Winthrop Athletics is proud to announce the launch of WIN: Winthrop’s Impact Network- a distinguished philanthropic giving society established to assist and elevate Winthrop’s 16 NCAA Division I applications and almost 300 student-athletes.

In the brand new period of school athletics, it’s vital now greater than ever to generate income to offer Winthrop student-athletes with the sources and alternatives wanted to compete for Big South championships and advance within the NCAA event. Winthrop’s Impact Network members could have an elite degree of direct impression on the way forward for Winthrop Athletics. For extra data, click on right here.

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