HPU Men’s Hoops Opens Home Slate Tuesday vs. William Peace

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team (3-1) returns home to the Millis Center for the first time this season to take on William Peace University (3-1) on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s home opener vs. William Peace will be broadcast live on the Big South Network. Live audio featuring Evan Lepler also will be available via the “live audio” link on highpointpanthers.com. Steven Wetherill and Sean Hamilton will have the call on BSN.

With a victory Tuesday against William Peace, High Point would move to 4-1 on the season for the first time since the team’s inaugural Division I campaign in 1999-2000.

High Point is 20-8 (.714) in the Millis Center since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Panthers have won seven-straight home games dating back to last season.

Following Tuesday’s home game, the Panthers will play three of their next four games on the road, with two of those contests coming against “Power 5” programs (Clemson on Nov. 28, Ohio State on Dec. 10).

Last time out, HPU dropped its first game of the season, 80-56, at Richmond on Nov. 22. The Panthers drew even with the Spiders in the second half (35-35), but were victimized by an opening stanza in which UR shot 68 percent (17-25) from the field, including 63.6 percent (7-11) from 3-point territory.

Redshirt-senior guard Brian Richardson led HPU with 13 points (3-6 3pt FG) at Richmond and made five of his final six shots after starting 0-3 from the field. Richardson ranks second on the Panthers with 13.0 ppg this season and is shooting 44.0 percent (8-18) from 3-point territory. Richardson sat out last season after transferring from the University of South Carolina.

HPU began the season 3-0 for the first time in the Division I era after winning the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic to open the 2014-15 campaign in Honolulu. The Panthers had not posted a 3-0 start to the season since the 1994-95 campaign when HPU opened with a 5-0 mark at the Division II level. The Div. I era began in 1999-2000.

A LOOK AT THE PACERS (3-1)
William Peace has won three of its first four games in 2014-15, including wins over UVA-Lynchburg (Nov. 15, 99-81), Columbia International (Nov. 21, 90-78) and Emory & Henry (Nov. 22, 84-69). The Pacers’ lone loss came at Triad-opponent Guilford on Nov. 16 when WPU fell 90-72. William Peace is led by junior forward Chris Thomas, who paces the Pacers with 18.5 ppg while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Senior forward Shawn Shaffer is the team’s leading rebounder (6.0 rpg) and also chips in 12.8 ppg.

HISTORY vs. WILLIAM PEACE
Tuesday’s game will mark the first-ever matchup between High Point and William Peace in men’s basketball.

HISTORY vs. USA SOUTH OPPONENTS
High Point University has posted a 16-1 record (.941) in 17 all-time meetings with USA South opponents (Division III). The Panthers most common USA South opponents are Greensboro College (7-1), Ferrum (4-0), Piedmont (2-0) and Covenant (2-0). In the most recent meeting with a USA South school, HPU defeated Ferrum, 94-64, on Nov. 12, 2013. In addition to the WPU game Tuesday, HPU also will play Ferrum (Dec. 17) during the 2014-15 regular season. The Panthers defeated USA South foe Piedmont 89-66 in its lone exhibition game of 2014-15 on Nov. 8.

UP NEXT
HPU heads south to take on ACC opponent Clemson on Friday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3. Evan Lepler also will have the call on the High Point Panthers Radio Network, available via the “live audio” link on highpointpanthers.com.