High Point MBB to play snowy Saturday tilt at Liberty

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team (13-6, 6-2) will look to conquer the snow and the Flames this weekend, trekking north to take on Liberty (6-15, 3-5) in a snowy Saturday tilt at the Vines Center.

Tip-off between the Panthers and Flames is scheduled for noon. Saturday’s game will be broadcast in 28 media markets and seven states on the American Sports Network. The game will be televised in North Carolina in Greensboro (WMYV, WXLV-2) and in Raleigh-Durham (WRDC, WLFL-2). In additon, Kevin Burke will call the game on the High Point Panthers Radio Network, with pre-game coverage beginning at 11:30 a.m.

A full list of TV clearances for ASN can be accessed here

PAW PRINTS
• HPU is 2-1 in Big South road games this season and 3-5 in road games overall in 2015-16. The Panthers won a school record six league road tilts last season.

• Last time out, the Panthers moved back into first place in the league standings with a 73-69 win over UNC Asheville (13-7, 6-2) on Wednesday in Millis. HPU earned a pair of key defensive stops in the final minute to seal the victory.

• The victory snapped a two-game losing skid. HPU is now 11-4 in games following a loss since the start of the 2014-15 season, including a 4-2 mark this season.

• Redshirt-senior John Brown led HPU with game-highs in points (26), rebounds (10) and blocks (4). It marked his fourth double-double of the season and 17th of his career. He has notched a double-double in two of the past three games.

• HPU posted an impressive +22 (45-23) rebounding margin against the Bulldogs, the team’s best margin against a DI opponent since a Jan. 24, 2009 game at VMI (also +22).

• On the flip side, HPU committed an uncharacteristic 21 turnovers vs. the Bulldogs, marking its highest turnover output since a Dec. 28, 2013 game at Arkansas.

• Freshman Andre Fox chipped in nine points and a career-high seven rebounds vs. Asheville in 24 minutes. He has scored at least six points in eight games this season.

• Through its first five Big South games (5-0), the Panthers shot 52.5 percent from the field and 53.9 percent from 3-point range. Over the past three contests (1-2), HPU is shooting 38.7 percent overall and 23.9 percent from long distance.

• With his 1,085 career points, Adam Weary is now up to 25th on the all-time HPU scoring list. Weary (258 career assists) also needs just three assists to move into sixth-place in HPU annals.

• Brown needs just 18 points to pass HPU legend Arizona Reid and move into third place on the all-time HPU scoring list.

BROWN NAMED CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Redshirt-senior John Brown has been named a candidate for one of the most prestigious awards in college sports, the Senior Class Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The list of 30 candidates includes Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Perry Ellis (Kansas), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Amile Jefferson (Duke) and Marcus Paige (UNC).

CRASH THE GLASS AND WIN
HPU posted its best rebounding margin in close to six years (+22) during a 73-69 win over UNC Asheville on Jan. 20. The Panthers are 8-1 when they out-rebound their opponent, but just 4-4 when their foe wins the rebounding battle.

A LOOK AT THE FLAMES (6-15, 3-5)
Liberty was picked to finish 11th in the 2015-16 Big South preseason poll, but the Flames have won three of their past five league games and sit in 8th place with a 3-5 league mark. Liberty posted a 3-10 non-conference mark, although all three of those wins came against non-Division I opponents. The Flames take a lot of 3-pointers and rank in the top-50 in the country in both 3-pointers attempted (482, 24th) and made (166, 38th).

Liberty is led by Marquette transfer John Dawson, who is averaging 13.7 points overall and 15.0 points in conference play while shooting 39.5 percent from distance. Sophomore center Evan Maxwell chips in 11.2 ppg and is averaging a team-best 5.7 rebounds per contest. Freshman Lovell Cabil distributes a team-high 2.8 assists/game and is posting 10 points per contest.

HISTORY vs. LIBERTY
Saturday’s matchup at Liberty will mark the 36th all-time meeting between the Panthers and Flames. Liberty holds a 19-16 edge in the all-time series but HPU has won five of the last six meetings. The teams first met on Jan. 23, 1999, with HPU winning 93-89 in overtime in Millis. Last season, the Panthers won the only matchup, 72-53, on Jan. 29 inside the Vines Center. Adam Weary posted 17 points in the contest while Jorge Perez-Laham chipped in 12 points (3-3 3pt FG).

UP NEXT
High Point remains on the road Wednesday when the Panthers travel to Buies Creek, N.C., to take on Campbell (8-11, 2-7). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Gore Arena – the site of the 2016 Big South Championship.