HPU MBB Closes Home Slate with Longwood Thursday

WHEN: Thursday, February 22, 2018 | 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: High Point, N.C. | Millis Center (1,750)
RECORDS: High Point (13-14, 8-8 Big South) | Longwood (6-23, 3-13 Big South)
SERIES RECORD: 31st meeting, HPU leads, 23-7
LIVE STATS: Click Here
AUDIO: High Point Panther Radio Network
VIDEO: Big South Network
GAME NOTES: Click here

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s basketball team (13-14, 8-8 Big South) closes out the regular season home slate on Thursday (Feb. 22) against Longwood (6-23, 3-13). Tip-off at the Millis Center is set for 7 p.m.

Senior Austin White will be honored before the game on Thursday in a brief ceremony. Fellow senior Jordan Whitehead is anticipated to use his final year of eligibility in 2018-19.

Kevin Burke and Stafford Stephenson will be back on the call on for the High Point Panthers Radio Network, with coverage starting at approximately 6:30 p.m.

PAW PRINTS
• Last time out, High Point escaped the Millis Center with a 66-65 win over Gardner- Webb on Sunday (Feb. 18). The Panthers made a defensive stop at the buzzer to ensure the win and move into a tie for fifth with Liberty in the Big South standings. HPU sits one game ahead of Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb, who are tied for seventh. The top-6 teams in the Big South standings earn a first-round bye.
• Senior Jordan Whitehead was the only Panther in double figures against the Runnin’ Bulldogs and tied a career high with 12 points.
• Sunday’s game against Gardner-Webb was the first time this season the Panthers have won when only one player scored in double figures. The last time the Panthers won with only one player in double figures as Jan. 20, 2016, a 73-69 win over UNC Asheville at the Millis Center.
• Thursday’s game will be the 117th career contest for senior Austin White, which will tie him with Jairus Simms (2009-13) for the 10th-most games played in HPU history. White would move into 10th place all alone in the Big South Tournament.
• Junior Andre Fox is 12 points shy of 1,000 for his High Point career. Fox would become the 33rd HPU student-athlete and the 10th Division I player to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
• Andre Fox hit one 3-pointer against Winthrop on Feb. 10 and has 108 for his career, ninth-most all-time at HPU. Next up on the chart is Zione White, who made 128 career 3-point field goals from 2003-05. Fox is currently 10th all-time at HPU with 288 attempts from behind the arc.
• After dropping their first four games decided by five points or less, the Panthers have won their last two. In both cases, High Point made defensive stands and made the primary scorers pass up the ball.

HISTORY vs. LONGWOOD
This will be the 31st meeting between the two programs with High Point leading the series, 23-7. HPU have won nine out of the last 10 meetings, including the last two. High Point was victorious in the Jan. 21 contest held in Farmville, 75-55. Jahaad Proctor led all scorers with five 3-pointers and 22 points, while Brandonn Kamga and Andre Fox added 16 and 11 points, respectively. The Panthers shot 50 percent from 3-point range (9-18).

A LOOK AT THE LANCERS (6-23, 3-13 BIG SOUTH)
Longwood comes into the game having dropped its last 10 games, including a 79-64 loss at Winthrop on Sunday (Feb. 18) in Rock Hill, S.C. Isaiah Walton leads the Lancers with 17.0 points per game, which ranks in a tie for fourth in the Big South. Damarion Geter averages 7.4 rebounds per contest, which is fifth in the conference. B.K. Ashe is second on the team with 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

HISTORY vs. OPPONENTS FROM VIRGINIA
High Point has complied a 81-74 (.523) record all-time against Division I programs hailing from the Old Dominion State. HPU’s most common opponents are Radford (21-24, .467), Liberty (17-23, .425) and Longwood (23-7, .767). High Point is 61-54 (.530) against Big South programs from Virginia and 20-20 (.500) against the rest of the state’s Division I teams. HPU is 4-1 against teams from Virginia this season after defeating William & Mary, Liberty, Longwood and Radford, but also fell to Radford.

NEXT UP
The Panthers close out the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 24) at Liberty with an afternoon matinee set for a 2 p.m. tip.