High Point MBB edged by Clemson, 83-74

• HPU trailed by just four (68-64) with six minutes to play in the game
• Sophomore Andre Fox posted his fourth 20+ point effort of 2016-17
• HPU was +4 (43-39) on the scoreboard in the second half and +8 (19-11) on the glass

CLEMSON, S.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team put together an outstanding second half against a talented Clemson team, but could not push past the Tigers down the stretch, falling 83-74 in Littlejohn Coliseum Friday evening.

The Panthers outscored Clemson, 43-39, in the second half and held a +8 edge (19-11) on the glass against the height superior Tigers. HPU pulled within four (68-64) with six minutes to play, but Clemson used a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to create an 11-point cushion High Point could not overcome.

“We gave a great effort tonight,” head coach Scott Cherry said. “A couple of plays swung the course of the game in the second half. We wish we could have those plays back, but we played very hard. We stuck to our gameplan for the most part and competed against a quality basketball team.”

Sophomore Andre Fox led the Panthers with his fourth 20+ point effort in six games this season. The Greenbelt, Md., product registered 22 points, made 8-of-10 free throw attempts and grabbed four rebounds in 36 minutes of work.

Senior Anthony Lindauer chipped in a season-best 16 points and connected on 7-of-13 field goal attempts, while freshman point guard Jamal Wright put forth another solid effort with 13 points, three rebounds and three assists.

High Point shot 45.6 percent from the floor – including a 50 percent mark in the second half – and made 8-of-20 3-point attempts (.400). HPU also shot a season best 87.5 percent (14-16) from the line and outscored the Tigers, 34-28, in the paint.

Clemson senior Jaron Blossomgame – considered to be a potential NBA first round pick – led the Tigers with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting.

Clemson jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but a Fox 3-pointer moved HPU within two (7-5) at the 16:58 mark of the opening half. Clemson extended its edge to 13-7, but the Panthers stayed hot from deep, as Wright nailed a pair of triples to push the Panthers back within two (15-13).

The Tigers created some distance from there, utilizing an 11-0 run to build a 29-16 advantage with 9:22 to go in the stanza. HPU pulled back within seven (35-28) on a jumper by Lindauer, but the Tigers closed the half on a 9-3 run to take a 44-31 cushion into the break.

HPU and Clemson traded buckets for the first five minutes of the second half before the Tigers extended their edge to 16 (59-43) on a 3-pointer at the 14:46 mark. From there, the Panthers surged back with a 12-2 run that included triples from Fox and Miles Bowman Jr. The spurt pulled High Point within six (61-55) with 11:34 to play.

High Point cut it to four (68-64) on a fastbreak lay-in from Lindauer with 6:17 remaining, but Clemson’s 9-2 spurt put the Tigers up 11 (77-66) and the Panthers could not move closer than eight for the remainder of the game.

HPU is right back at it Monday night (Nov. 28) when the Panthers head to Baltimore for a matchup with Morgan State. Tip-off in Hill Field House is scheduled for 7 p.m.