By: James Barkley, staff writer
The Terriers rode a wave of tremendous play into the new year and have continued their momentum through the month of January. The excitement began with Wofford’s unbelievable upset win over the University of North Carolina. The Terriers were heating up and entered against Chapel Hill with a four game win streak. Continuing this excellent play, the Terriers shocked the nation by knocking off the Tar Heels 79-75. With this win, Wofford captured its first win against an AP top-25 opponent, and this was no normal opponent. North Carolina was ranked no. 5 at the time and the reigning national champion. To make the win even sweeter, it also broke the Tar Heels 23-game home winning streak. Fletcher Magee and Cameron Jackson, the Terriers’ two star juniors, lead the game. Magee finished the night with 27 points and Jackson added 18 points, hauled in nine rebounds, and recorded six blocks.
Following their win over UNC, Wofford then prepared for the start of Southern Conference play. The Terriers continued their hot play through the month of January as they finished the month with an 8-2 record.
Another impressive win came during this stretch when Wofford took down Harvard University 63-62. Magee led the way for the Terriers once again, putting up 19 points, gathering seven rebounds, and dishing out four assists. However, it was senior Derrick Brooks who sank a free throw with seven seconds left to give the Terriers the lead. Despite Magee not having the best shooting night, the Terriers had some other players step up to help hold on to the win. Storm Murphy scored 12 points and Trevor Stumpe added 11 more. This win notched Wofford’s third win over a solid division I opponent, including the win over North Carolina and a win against Georgia Tech that came back in early December.
Having an outstanding season, Wofford can credit much of their success to guard Fletcher Magee. Playing a team-high 32.9 minutes per game, Magee is averaging 22.4 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from behind the arc. Magee is also averaging an astonishing 92.6 percen from the free throw line.
Cameron Jackson has been a solid contributor this season, as he is averaging 11.8 points per game while collecting 6.2 rebounds per game. Magee and Jackson were 2017-18 Preseason All-SoCon and both have been leaders down the stretch for the Terriers. One player who has moved into a larger role this season is sophomore Trevor Stumpe. Stepping up his game, Stumpe is averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting an efficient 49 percent field goal percentage and 45.1 percent from 3-point range.
Wofford continues its conference play through the month of February before they face the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament. Holding the third seed entering the month of February, Wofford will look to continue their success against their conference opponents. If able to maintain their current position in the conference, the Terriers will travel to Asheville, N.C., for their first match up on March 3.
