HPU Men’s Hoops Battles Campbell Saturday in Buies Creek

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team (18-7, 9-4) hits the road for a Valentine’s Day showdown with Campbell (9-17, 3-10) on Saturday in Buies Creek, N.C.

Tip-off on Valentine’s Day is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on the Big South Network. In addition, “Voice of the Panthers” Evan Lepler and Stafford Stephenson also will call the game on the High Point Panthers Radio Network, with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.

With a 9-4 league record, HPU is tied with Radford and Charleston Southern for first place in the Big South standings. UNC Asheville is a half-game back at 9-5.

HPU has won 18 games for just the third time in its Div. I history. The Panthers won 19 games in 2003-04 and a Div. 1-best 22 contests in 2006-07.

HPU is 7-5 (.583) in road games this season. The Panthers are 4-2 on the road in league play. HPU’s best road winning percentage in its Division I history is .500 (8-8), set during the 2003-04 season. HPU has never won more than five Big South road games in a season.

Last time out, HPU rallied from a 10-point deficit with 2:29 to play en route to a critical 73-72 win over Winthrop on Wednesday. The Panthers’ comeback from a 16-point second half deficit was its greatest rally since a 2007 21-point comeback vs. Charleston Southern.

Redshirt-junior forward John Brown tied a career-high with 34 points on 11-of-16 shooting and hit 12-of-15 free throw attempts against the Eagles. Brown made 6-of-6 free throws in the final 2:29, including the final two that gave HPU a 73-72 lead with three seconds left that it would not relinquish. Senior guard Devante Wallace also hit a huge 3-pointer and made 2-of-2 free throws in the final 2:29.

Wallace is HPU’s all-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.427). With five more triples, he will move into third on HPU’s all-time 3-pointers made list. He has 169 career 3-pointers.

A LOOK AT THE CAMELS (9-17, 3-10)
Campbell was picked to finish eighth on out 11 teams in the Big South preseason poll. The Camels posted a 6-7 non-conference record and have registered a 3-10 mark in league play. CU is 8-4 at home this season, but just 1-13 on the road. The Camels are led by junior forward D.J. Mason, who ranks first on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg), rebounding (5.3) and blocks (0.9 bpg). Sophomore guard Kyre’ Hamer leads the team in assists (2.5) and chips in 9.0 ppg while redshirt-senior guard Andrew Ryan is second on the team with 11.2 ppg.

HISTORY vs. CAMPBELL
Saturday’s matchup with Campbell will mark the 50th all-time meeting between the Panthers and Camels. HPU leads the all-time series 29-22 (.592) and has captured five of the past six meetings. HPU won the first game between the teams this season, 69-62, on Jan. 10. Junior forward Lorenzo Cugini posted a career-high 24 points in the victory. The Purple & White are 5-2 against Campbell since the Camels re-joined the Big South in 2011-12.

UP NEXT
HPU returns to the Millis Center to take on Gardner-Webb Wednesday (Feb. 18) at 7 p.m. Pre-game coverage on the High Point Panthers Radio Network begins at 6:30 p.m.