HPU MBB Heads To Virginia For Saturday Meeting With JMU

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team (7-3) wraps up its pre-Christmas schedule with a trip to Harrisonburg, Va., to take on CAA foe James Madison on Saturday inside the JMU Convocation Center. The two teams have split two previous Division I meetings.

Tip-off at JMU is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on High Point Panthers Radio Network featuring “Voice of the Panthers” Evan Lepler. A video stream of the game is available via MadiZone HD Sportsnet on www.jmusports.com.

The Panthers have posted a 4-3 record in road and neutral site contests so far in 2014-15. The Purple & White will look for their third non-conference road win of 2014-15 Saturday. HPU has not won three non-conference road games since the 2005-06 campaign. HPU has tallied seven non-conference wins for the first time since 2007-08 when the Panthers captured nine non-conference victories.

Last time out, the Panthers shot a Div. I school record 70.9 percent (39-55) from the field en route to a 106-48 win over Ferrum on Wednesday inside the Millis Center. The 106 points were the seventh-most scored by an HPU team in the program’s DI history. HPU distributed a season-high 27 assists on its 39 made field goals vs. Ferrum and moved the ball well as a unit, as nine Panthers dished out at least two dimes. The 27 helpers were the most by an HPU team since the 2007-08 season.

Sophomore guard Anthony Lindauer broke out of a shooting slump to explode for a career-high 19 points (5-6 FG) and connected on 3-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc to lead HPU. Lindauer was one of five Panthers in double figures vs. Ferrum. K.J. James (13), Quincy Drye (10) and DeAndre Barber (7) all hit career highs in scoring against the Panthers.

The Purple & White held a 40-35 edge in rebounding vs. Ferrum. HPU is 6-0 when it out-rebounds the opposition, but just 1-3 when its opponent holds the edge in rebounding.

A LOOK AT THE DUKES (7-3)
James Madison has won seven of its first 10 games to start the 2014-15 season after being picked to finish fifth in the CAA preseason poll. The Dukes have defeated three Big South teams, including Radford (74-71), Longwood (82-60) and Campbell (63-61) all inside the JMU Convocation Center. The Dukes are 6-1 at home this season. Three players average 10+ points for JMU, including sophomore guard Jackson Kent (10.9 ppg), junior guard Ron Curry (10.7 ppg) and sophomore forward Yohanny Dalembert (10.3 ppg). Dalembert also leads the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg) while Curry is the team’s leading assists man with 4.6/game.

HISTORY vs. JAMES MADISON
Saturday’s matchup will mark the third between High Point University and James Madison on the basketball court. In the first two meetings, each team won on the other’s home court. The Panthers earned a 82-63 win in Harrisonburg on Dec. 29, 2004, while JMU won last season’s meeting, 84-69, on Dec. 14, 2013, inside the Millis Center.

HISTORY vs. CAA OPPONENTS
The Panthers are 103-90 (.534) all-time against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The bulk of those meetings have come against new CAA member Elon, with the two teams matching up 162 times during HPU’s NAIA, Division II and Division I days. Elon competed in the Big South from 1999-03 during HPU’s Division I era. In HPU’s most recent meeting with a CAA team, the Panthers defeated William & Mary, 66-63, earlier this month (Dec. 6) inside the Millis Center.

PANTHERS WITHIN THE TOP-100 OF RPI RATINGS
The Panthers are ranked No. 84 of out 351 NCAA Division I teams in Friday’s RPI report.

UP NEXT
HPU will enjoy an eight-day holiday break before returning to action on Dec. 28 vs. Thomas University inside the Millis Center. Tip-off in High Point is scheduled for 3 p.m. Pre-game coverage on the High Point Panthers Radio Network begins at 2:30 p.m.