HPU men’s basketball returns to the road to face Presbyterian College

WHEN: Thursday, February 9, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Templeton Center (2,300)
RECORDS: High Point (13-11, 7-5), Presbyterian College (5-18, 1-11)
SERIES RECORD: High Point leads 15-8
LAST MEETING: High Point def. Presbyterian College, 77-44, on Jan. 14, 2017
LIVE VIDEO: Big South Network
LIVE AUDIO: High Point Panther Radio Network
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team is back in action and back on the road on Thursday, Jan. 9, when the Panthers travel to Clinton, S.C., to face off with the Presbyterian College Blue Hose in a Big South showdown.

Tip in the game is set for 7 p.m. Kevin Burke will be on the call on the High Point Panthers Radio Network, with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.

PAW PRINTS
• High Point lost for the first time in seven games on Saturday when the Purple & White dropped a game at home to UNC Asheville by a score of 74-71. The game came down to the final possession as freshman Jamal Wright launched a running 3-pointers at the buzzer that hit off the rim.
• Sophomore Ricky Madison went 9-10 from the field to score a career-high 18 in the game against the Bulldogs. He was one of five players that finished the game in double figures. Redshirt-senior Miles Bowman Jr. and sophomore Andre Fox each scored 12 points while senior Anthony Lindauer had 11 and senior Tarique Thompson finished with 10 off the bench.
• After missing two seasons with knee injuries, Bowman Jr. has emerged as one of the top players in the Big South. He is ninth in the league in scoring at 13.8 points per game and is averaging 15.7 points per game in conference play. The redshirt-senior ranks among the nation’s leaders in free throw shooting and rebounding and he leads the Big South with 11 double-doubles in 23 games. He is one of just 31 players in the nation to record at least 11 double-doubles this season.
• Despite ranking as one of the shortest teams in Div. I this season according to KenPom, High Point has been the top rebounding teams in the Big South since the start of league play. The Panthers have won the rebounding battle in 10-straight games and lead the Big South with a +6.5 rebounding margin in conference play. For the season, High Point has allowed just 32.0 rebounds per game, tops in the conference.
• The Panthers feature two players ranked in the top-10 in the Big South in rebounding. Bowman Jr. is ranked second in the Big South and 58th in the nation with 8.8 rebounds per game. Madison ranks ninth in the league with 6.0 rebounds per game.
• HPU has excelled in free throw shooting on the road, going 164-207 (.792). Overall, High Point ranks third in the Big South and 81st in the nation in free throw percentage at .730 (355-485). Redshirt-senior Miles Bowman Jr., leads the Big South and is 10th in the nation in free throw percentage at .909 (80-88).
• Wright currently sits second in the Big South in assists per game (3.9) in his first collegiate campaign. He has 93 assists while committing just 57 turnovers and is third in the conference with a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

HISTORY vs. PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE
High Point is 15-8 all-time against Presbyterian College, winning the past seven meetings between the two sides. The Panthers earned a 77-44 win over Presbyterian in the two teams’ first meeting this season at the Millis Center. on Jan. 14. Freshman Jamal Wright went 7-7 from the field and finished with a career-high 20 points to go along with five assists. The HPU bench outscored the Blue Hose 30-8 led by seniors Tarique Thompson and Anthony Lindauer who both cracked double figures. Thompson had 14 points and eight rebounds and Lindauer scored 13 while also finishing with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. The 44 points allowed by High Point was the fewest in a game against a Div. I opponent since giving up 43 to VMI in the Big South Tournament on March 2, 2004. HPU held the Blue Hose to just 16-49 shooting and forced 22 turnovers in the contest. The last win by the Blue Hose in the series came on Feb. 2, 2012 at the Millis Center. Presbyterian’s last win on their home floor against the Panthers was on Jan. 31, 2009.

HISTORY vs. OPPONENTS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA
High Point has complied a 78-90 (.464) record all-time against Div. I programs hailing from the Palmetto State. HPU’s most common opponents are Winthrop (14-27, .341), Coastal Carolina (16-21, .432) and Charleston Southern (20-16, .556). High Point is 49-51 (.490) against Big South programs from South Carolina and 29-39 (.426) against the rest of the state’s Div. I teams. HPU is 3-2 against teams from South Carolina this season with losses to Clemson and Winthrop and wins over Presbyterian College, Charleston Southern and Winthrop.

A LOOK AT THE BLUE HOSE (5-18, 1-11 BIG SOUTH)
Presbyterian College has struggled this season with five wins overall and just one win in conference play. The Blue Hose offense has been the primary culprit as Presbyterian sits last in the league in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and ninth in turnover margin. Freshman guard Jo’Vontae Millner leads PC in his first collegiate season with 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He is the only player averaging double figures in scoring for the Blue Hose for the season Senior guard Reggie Dillard is second on the team with 9.6 points per game and he leads the squad in assists with 3.5 per contest. Senior forward Ed Drew is averaging 9.0 points per game for the season but he leads the team in Big South play with 11.5 points per game.

UP NEXT
High Point will play host to the Radford Highlanders at the Millis Center on Saturday, Feb. 11. The Panthers will try and complete a sweep of RU after earning a 61-58 road win earlier this season.