High Point Men’s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker to The Citadel, 79-77

• Junior Andre Fox had a career-high 24 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range
• Freshman Justyn Mutts posted season bests with 10 points, 5 rebounds, four blocks and three steals
• The Panthers host Methodist Tuesday night (Nov. 21) at 8 p.m. inside the Millis Center

HIGH POINT, N.C.—The High Point University men’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to The Citadel, 79-77, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18) at the Millis Center in High Point.

The Panthers (1-2) were down eight points, 76-68, with 1:27 to go, and closed the gap to within one at 78-77 on a layup by freshman Justyn Mutts with four seconds remaining. Tariq Simmons of The Citadel (2-2) made a free throw following an immediate foul, but intentionally missed the second free throw to not allow HPU a good look to end the game.

HPU led 58-43 with 12:32 to go, but the Bulldogs used a 30-7 run to come back and take the 76-68 lead.

“We didn’t play well in that stretch (in the second half) until the last couple of minutes where we finally figured out how to try and come together and do the things we needed to do,” HPU head coach Scott Cherry said. “But it started before the game, we didn’t prepare well. Then in the game, we didn’t do the things we needed to do really well, so we need to get it corrected and figured out.”

Junior Andre Fox led five Panthers in double figures with a career-high 24 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Sophomore Brandonn Kamga added 13, while junior Ricky Madison and sophomore Jahaad Proctor each had 11. Freshman Justyn Mutts had his best game in the Purple & White, recording season bests with 10 points, five rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

The Panthers shot 46.2 percent from the field, while the Bulldogs shot 42.2 percent. The Bulldogs hit 10 3-pointers to HPU’s five and was 6-of-10 in the second half. HPU turned the ball over 20 times, but had season-bests in blocks (10) and steals (12), while The Citadel had 17 turnovers, 11 steals and five blocks.

Preston Parks had 18 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Kaelon Harris added 13.

In the first half, The Citadel jumped out to an 8-point lead just under five minutes into the game on a Tariq Simmons 3-pointer, but the Panthers went on a 13-3 run over the next 3:47 to take a 19-17 lead.

Leading by one with a minute to go in the first half at 35-34, High Point went on a 19-6 run over the next 5:28 to take a 54-40 lead.

Next up, the Panthers host Methodist on Tuesday night (Nov. 21) at 8 p.m. inside the Millis Center.