HPU Posts Best Finish Ever In Big South Sasser Cup Standings

High Point University finished second in the 2013-14 Big South Sasser Cup standings, the school’s highest finish since joining the league in 1999-2000, it was announced on Thursday night. The Panthers finished third in each of the last five seasons. HPU won Big South championships in men’s and women’s basketball and women’s lacrosse this season.

Coastal Carolina won the George F. “Buddy” Sasser Cup Trophy for the 2013-14 athletic season, its first Sasser Cup since 2006-07 and 10th overall. Liberty won the last six in a row and finished third in the standings this season.

Coastal Carolina averaged 13.54 Sasser Cup points in 18 championship sports. High Point finished second with a 13.00 average in 15 sports, Liberty was third (12.82 average), Campbell fourth (10.86) and Winthrop fifth (10.53).

High Point finished second in the Women’s All-Sports Standings, getting edged by Coastal Carolina, 13.55 to 13.44. In the Men’s All-Sports Standings, HPU finished third.

The Panthers had their best year since moving up to NCAA Div. I in 1999-2000, finishing in the top three in 11 of 15 Big South sports. HPU won outright regular season championships in both men’s and women’s basketball. The Panthers capped the year off with regular season and tournament championships in women’s lacrosse.

The women’s basketball team set NCAA Div. I program records with 22 overall wins and 16 Big South wins this season. HPU’s men’s basketball team went 12-4 in conference play for the second year in a row and made its first appearance in the NIT.

High Point’s women’s lacrosse team went 14-6 overall and 7-0 in Big South play. The Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. High Point’s women’s golf team matched its best finish in program history, placing third at the Big South Championship.

The HPU baseball team finished its best season in Div. I last weekend, finishing third in the Big South regular season with an 18-9 record, making it to the tournament semifinals and finishing 11 games over .500 at 33-22. The most games High Point had ever finished over .500 was two (31-29 in 2010).

HPU had three Big South Coaches of the Year in 2013-14: Scott Cherry (men’s basketball), DeUnna Hendrix (women’s basketball), Vici Pate Flesher (women’s golf) and Lyndsey Boswell (women’s lacrosse).

High Point’s men’s lacrosse team, which competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference this year, tied for the regular-season title with a 4-1 record and made it to the A-Sun championship game. It was just the Panthers second season of competition.

The Sasser Cup Trophy is named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser and is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year athletically, based on an average points system.

2013-14 Sasser Cup Standings
1. Coastal Carolina 13.54
2. High Point 13.00
3. Liberty 12.82
4. Campbell 10.86
5. Winthrop 10.53
6. Radford 9.21
7. Charleston Southern 7.84
8. Gardner-Webb 6.92
9. Longwood 6.77
10. VMI 6.52
11. UNC Asheville 6.46
12. Presbyterian College 5.08

2013-14 Women’s All-Sports Award
1. Coastal Carolina 13.55
2. High Point 13.44
3. Liberty 13.00
4. Winthrop 11.10
5. Campbell 10.00
6. Radford 9.39
7. Charleston Southern 8.22
8. Longwood 7.50
9. UNC Asheville 7.07
10. Gardner-Webb 6.22
11. Presbyterian College 5.50
12. VMI 3.25

2013-14 Men’s All-Sports Award
1. Coastal Carolina 13.53
2. Liberty 12.64
3. High Point 12.50
4. Campbell 11.94
5. Winthrop 9.81
6. Radford 9.00
7. VMI 8.39
8. Gardner-Webb 7.61
9. Charleston Southern 7.36
10. Longwood 5.92
11. UNC Asheville 5.86
12. Presbyterian College 4.61

HPU’s Sasser Cup Finishes
Year Rank Score
2013-14 2nd 13.00
2012-13 3rd 11.53
2011-12 3rd 9.29
2010-11 3rd 8.98
2009-10 3rd 9.90
2008-09 3rd 8.84
2007-08 4th 7.38
2006-07 4th 7.88
2005-06 4th 122.5
2004-05 5th 117
2003-04 T-4th 115
2002-03 Below 4th
2001-02 5th 62
2000-01 8th 47
1999-00 8th 37