High Point MBB Plays Wofford in Mountain Invitational Sunday

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 17 | 2 p.m.
WHERE: Asheville, N.C. | U.S. Cellular Center (7,654)
RECORDS: High Point (4-5) | Wofford (6-4)
SERIES RECORD: 20th meeting, Wofford leads 10-9
LIVE STATS: Click here
VIDEO: Big South Network
LIVE AUDIO: High Point Panthers Radio Network
GAME NOTES: Click here

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s basketball team (4-5) travels to Asheville, N.C., Sunday (Dec. 17) for the Mountain Invitational where the Panthers will take on Wofford (6-4). Tip-off at the U.S. Cellular Center is set for 2 p.m.

Kevin Burke will be back on the call on the High Point Panthers Radio Network on Sunday, with pre-game coverage beginning approximately at 1:30 p.m.

In the second game of the Mountain Invitational, UNC Asheville will take on Western Carolina at approximately 4:30 p.m.

PAW PRINTS
• High Point is coming off a 110-39 victory over Toccoa Falls on Dec. 10 at the Millis Center. Sophomore Cliff Thomas Jr. scored a career-high 16 points, while junior Dexter Gooding hit four 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 14 points. In his first start in the Purple & White, junior Sam Berlin recorded the Panthers’ first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Jamal Wright tallied a career-high nine assists, while freshman Denny Slay added a season-high seven assists.
• Against Toccoa Falls, the Panthers’ 110 points scored were tied for the fifth-most in HPU’s Division I history. HPU shot 64.3 percent from the field, which is the fourth-best shooting percentage performance. The 45 field goals made were fourth-best and the 26 assists dished out were tied for fifth-most.
• With every player who saw action against Toccoa Falls recording at least six points and one rebound, the Panthers have had every player score and grab a rebound in two out of their last three games (Johnson & Wales was the other occurance). The previous time the Panthers had every player who saw action score was an 88-80 win over Longwood on Feb. 18, 2016 in Farmville, Va.
• Junior Andre Fox tallied 24 points at College of Charleston and has scored 20 or more points in five of nine games this season after posting six 20+ point games in 2016-17. Fox is the first Panther to tally 20 or more points in five games in an eight-game stretch since John Brown scored 20-plus in six of seven games from Jan. 2-Feb. 3, 2016.
• Fox is currently third in the Big South with 17.6 points per game, third in field goal percentage at 51.5 percent and leads the conference with a 93.3 free throw percentage.

HISTORY vs. WOFFORD
This will be the 20th meeting between the two programs in a series that dates back to the 1928-29 season. The Terriers lead the series, 10-9, and the two squads have split four meetings this decade. In the 2013-14 season, High Point won at the Millis Center, 66-56, while Wofford claimed the meeting in Spartanburg, S.C., 81-53.

A LOOK AT THE TERRIERS (6-4)
Wofford comes into the contest riding a three-game win streak with victories over Johnson & Wales (104-45), Georgia Tech (63-60) and Coastal Carolina (87-81). The Terriers rank fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.0 percent and 11th in 3-pointers made per game at 11.2. Fletcher Magee leads Wofford and is sixth in the nation in scoring at 23.8 points per game. Magee also leads the country in 3-pointers per game (4.6) and is second in 3-point field goal percentage (56.8 percent).

HISTORY vs. SOCON OPPONENTS
The Panthers are 74-52 (.587) all-time against current members of the Southern Conference. The Panthers most common opponents are Western Carolina (40-23), VMI (13-10) and Wofford (9-10). In addition to the long-time series with WCU during the NAIA days, HPU and VMI clashed often over the past decade during VMI’s tenure in the Big South. This season, the Panthers fell to The Citadel, 79-77, on Nov. 18 at the Millis Center.

NEXT UP
The Panthers will stay on the road to face Western Carolina on Tuesday night (Dec. 19) at 7 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C.