HPU Men’s Basketball Falls to Runnin’ Bulldogs

Site: Boiling Springs, N.C. (Porter Arena)
Score: Gardner-Webb 86, High Point 55
Records: GWU (10-14, 6-6 Big South), HPU (7-18, 4-8 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Thursday, Feb. 13 — at Charleston Southern (Charleston, S.C.), 7:30 p.m.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team was unable to contain a hot-shooting Gardner-Webb squad in an 86-55 setback on Monday evening (Feb. 10).

Freshman Eric Coleman Jr. got off to a quick start, scoring five of the Panthers’ first seven points, including a three-pointer at 15:54. The freshman would finish with a team-leading 13 points with four rebounds.

The teams traded baskets before Gardner-Webb went on an 11-0 run in the early stages of the first half to jump out to a double-digit lead (17-7) at the 13:01 mark.

The hosts continued their hot shooting and proceeded on a 17-0 run to extend their lead to 25 (44-19) in the later minutes of the opening stanza, holding HPU scoreless for five minutes. GWU led by as many as 27 points in the opening half.

GWU started the second period where they left off, hitting a three-pointer to kick off the half and extended their lead to as many as 38 in the final stanza. The Runnin’ Bulldogs finished with 16 three-pointers and shot 47.1% from beyond the arc.

The Panthers went on a 10-0 run midway through the second half that included a pair of three-pointers by junior Denny Slay II, who finished with eight points off the bench along with fellow veteran guard Jamal Wright. Sophomore Rob Peterson III also chipped in with eight points to go along with a team-high five boards.

The Panthers conclude their two-game road trip on Thursday (Feb. 13) when they travel to Charleston Southern for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.