ROCK HILL, S.C. (Interstat) — A surging Winthrop squad will look to continue its push atop the Big South Conference standings when it hosts a struggling South Carolina Upstate team on Thursday night at Winthrop Coliseum. The Eagles (19-8, 10-2 Big South) enter on a six-game winning streak, most recently routing Gardner-Webb 103-85 on Feb. 12 behind a career-high 33 points from guard Kareem Rozier. Winthrop, which boasts the conference’s best overall record, has not lost since Jan. 17. Conversely, the Spartans (11-16, 4-8) have lost four of their last five, including a 75-82 overtime defeat at Longwood on Saturday. In that game, Mason Bendinger scored 19 points and Karmani Gregory added 23, but a late rally fell short. The Jan. 10 meeting between these teams was a one-sided affair, a 71-50 Winthrop victory in Spartanburg. The Eagles’ defense held Upstate to just 29.6% shooting from the field in that contest. Player matchups will be critical. Winthrop’s Rozier has been a consistent offensive force, averaging 20.2 points over his last five games. For Upstate, the burden falls heavily on guard Carmelo Adkins, who is coming off a 43-minute, 13-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist performance against Longwood. Adkins has scored in double figures in six of his last eight outings. The Spartans will need more offensive support beyond Adkins to challenge an Eagles team averaging 80.3 points per game during its win streak. Winthrop has shown balance, with Logan Duncomb (24 points) and Kody Clouet (19 points) providing strong support alongside Rozier in the last outing. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The game continues a tough closing stretch for Upstate, which hosts Presbyterian on Saturday. Winthrop visits first-place High Point in a crucial conference showdown on Saturday.