HPU men’s basketball stymies Presbyterian College in 77-44 win

• High Point allowed the fewest points to a Div. I opponent since 2004 in the 77-44 win over Presbyterian College on Saturday.
• The HPU defense allowed just 16 field goals while forcing 22 Blue Hose turnovers.
• Freshman Jamal Wright was a perfect 7-7 from the field to finish with a career-high 20 points while also dishing out five assists.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s basketball team allowed the fewest points to a Div. I opponent in 13 years in the Panthers’ 77-44 win over Presbyterian College on Saturday night at the Millis Center.

The 44 points allowed by the Purple & White is the fewest that HPU has allowed to a Div. I opponent since the team gave up just 43 to VMI in the Big South Tournament game on March 2, 2004. High Point’s defense held the Blue Hose to just 16-49 shooting and forced 22 turnovers in the contest.

“The effort this team played with tonight is what we have been working towards,” head coach Scott Cherry said. “We were tremendous on the defensive end of the floor. We came out with the right kind of effort and focus and moving forward we need to keep doing that in every game. To hold a team to 44 points in impressive and a credit to these kids.”

Freshman Jamal Wright enjoyed a career night for the Panthers, leading the team with a career-high 20 points on 7-7 shooting, including 3-3 from behind the arc. The point guard dished out a team-best five assists and did not record a turnover on the night.

Two other HPU players finished in double figures for the home side as senior Tarique Thompson scored 14 to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and senior Anthony Lindauer scored 13. Lindauer filled up the score sheet with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.

Will Adams was the lone Presbyterian College player to finish in double figures, scoring 12 points on 5-13 shooting.

High Point improves to 8-10 overall and 2-4 in the Big South with the win while the Blue Hose drop to 4-13 overall and 0-6 in the conference.

The Panthers jumped ahead early, using a 14-2 run in the opening minutes to go up by 10, 14-4, five minutes into the contest. Wright got the scoring started with three from the corner and notched eight of High Points first 14 points, including six on two 3-pointers.

The Purple & White led by six, 21-15, with nine minutes left in the opening period before a 10-0 run by the home team pushed the lead back into double digits for good. Thompson, Lindauer, Wright and junior Austin White all scored in the run for the Panthers to put HPU ahead 31-15.

Wright started the second half much like the first, drilling his third 3-pointer of the game as High Point scored eight of the first 10 points in the period to build its lead to 22 at 47-25. The Panthers would build their lead to as high as 35 with a 13-0 run midway through the second half before ultimately winning by 33.

High Point outscored the Blue Hose by 12 in the paint, 30-18, and finished plus-five in the rebounding margin, 35-30. The team also turned 22 Presbyterian College turnovers into 27 points, the most points off turnover in a game this season for HPU.

The Panthers hit the road for two-straight games next week, starting with a contest against the Camels of Campbell University on Thursday, Jan. 19, in Buies Creek, N.C. The Big South showdown will tip at 7 p.m.