College Men’s Basketball Final – High Point 81, Guilford 45 (EXHIBITION)

*** HPU story follows GUILFORD story ***

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Brandonn Kamga’s game-high 19 points paced four Panthers in double-figure scoring Tuesday in NCAA Division I High Point University’s 81-45 exhibition basketball victory over Division III Guilford College. Kamga netted 15 first-half points in the Panthers’ unofficial first game under former national coach of the year and High Point alumnus Tubby Smith.

Six minutes into the game, Guilford had a 10-7 lead thanks to a pair of Joah Logan three-pointers. The Quakers competed well for the opening 10 minutes and trailed, 16-4, midway through the first half. Guilford defended and rebounded well, and rode Logan’s hot hand for the opening 10 minutes. He scored all of his team-high 10 points in the first 10:14.

The Panthers clamped down from that point and held Guilford scoreless for the next five minutes. Jahaad Proctor and Jamal Wright drained three-pointers and Kamga tallied four points during a decisive 13-0 run. High Point scored the first half’s final seven points to open a 42-21 margin.

High Point’s Ricky Madison posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 14 boards. Wright made both three-point shots on the way to 15 points off the bench. Proctor chipped in 13 points and a game-best six assists. The Panthers limited their guests to 28.6 field-goal shooting, including five-of-23 (21.7%) from long range.

Guilford got 16 different students into the contest, it’s first of two this week versus Division I competition. Kyler Gregory delivered solid post play in the post where he made three-of-six shots and finished with seven points. Junior college transfer Steven Ruszala chipped in five interior points, a blocked shot, and a club-high seven rebounds in his Quakers’ debut. Roanoke College transfer Jordan Wallis gave Guilford a boost off the bench with two three-pointers and six points. The Quakers held their own under the basket with 39 of the game’s 73 rebounds, including 13 on the offensive glass.

Coach Tom Palombo’s Quakers head to the University of Iowa this weekend for a November 4 contest with the Division I Hawkeyes and former University of North Carolina at Greensboro mentor Fran McCaffery.


Men’s Basketball: High Point Defeats Guilford, 81-45, in Exhibition

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s basketball team defeated Guilford College, 81-45, in an exhibition game Tuesday night (Oct. 30) at the Millis Center.

The Panthers shot 47.6 percent from the field while holding the Quakers to 28.6 percent shooting. High Point out-rebounded Guilford, 44-39, and led in steals 11-4.

Junior Brandon Kamga led four Panthers in double figures with 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Fellow junior Jamal Wright was 5-6 from the field and added 15 points. Down low, senior Ricky Madison recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Junior Jahaad Proctor was the main distributor, dishing out six assists to go along with 13 points.

“Well first, we are glad to get this one in and have some competition,” HPU head coach Tubby Smith said. “Guilford came in and played hard. You can tell they have a well-coached team. I thought our guys did a really job of picking up the intensity and pressuring the ball, so it was a good test for us and we’ll evaluate the film and see how we can improve.”

HPU got off to a quick start as Kamga opened the scoring with a thunderous dunk. The Quakers cut the Panthers lead to two at 16-14 with 9:46 remaining, but the Panthers went on a 13-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to break open the game. HPU went into the break with a 42-21 lead.

In the second half, the Panthers had a balanced attack as five players scored five or more, including sophomore Denny Slay, who had seven, and senior Jordan Whitehead, who added six.

The Panthers open the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at William & Mary. Tip-off in Williamsburg, Va., is set for 7 p.m.