Site: Willett Hall (Farmville, Va.)
Score: High Point 66, Longwood 70
Records: High Point (11-15, 5-7), Longwood (19-6) (11-1)
FARMVILLE, Va — The High Point University men’s basketball team fell to Longwood in a thriller. The Lancers won 70-66. Seven-time Big South Freshman of the Week Zack Austin led HPU in scoring with 17 points. John-Michael Wright and Jaden House joined him in double digits, JMW had 16 and House added 11 points.
GG Smith: “I thought it was a hard played game by both teams, our guys really came out ready to play. They were excited to play the best team in the league in Longwood. Like it has been all year, we just got a little tight there midway in the second half and we just weren’t able to pull out another close game. Longwood has been winning all these close games this year and it just seems like we always end up on the other side of these close games. I liked our team’s effort, the good news is we turn back around and play these guys again on national tv on Thursday. I am really proud of the effort from our guys we just have to be better down the stretch.”
Panther Particulars
HPU was 3-5 to start the game as House got the scoring started for the Panthers with a quick layup.
Wright hit his first attempt of the game from three-point land putting HPU up 5-3 with 18:00 to play in the first half.
An Alex Holt put back made it 8-7, the Panthers trailed by one at the first media timeout.
Out of the break, Wright hit another triple for a quick six points as he started the game 2-2 from three.
An Austin three gave HPU a 17-15 lead with 11:15 to go in the first half.
Austin followed that up with another triple to give his Panthers a 22-17 advantage with 10:15 in the first.
Bryson Childress hit a three with 8:28 in the first half to put HPU up 25-21.
Longwood went on a seven-point run in the first half to go up 33-30 with 3:17 to play in the first.
Longwood led 35-32 at the half.
House led the way in scoring for the Panthers in the first half with nine points as he was 4-7 from the field.
About four minutes into the second half, Austin rattled off a seven-point run that he capped off with an alley-oop that put HPU up three.
A Holt rebound and put back with 10:20 left gave his Panthers a four-point lead.
With 6:32 left in the game, Bryant Randleman drove to the basket and was able to spin towards the rim with a Lancer on him and finish to put HPU up 57-52.
JMW was fouled shooting a three with 4:38 left to play and put HPU up two as he hit all three free throws.
The Lancers took a six-point lead with 2:12 remaining, Wright was fouled on a made layup on the other end setting up a three-point play. JMW brought HPU within three, 67-64.
Longwood came down and hit a basket to go up 69-64 with 1:32 to play. Randleman hit a basket and was fouled with 1:20 left. The Panthers did not convert on the free throw, but they got a stop on the other end. Austin had two separate looks at game-tying threes, but neither were able to go. Longwood held on to win 70-66.
Up Next
HPU returns home for a late one at 9:00 PM as the Qubein Center makes its national television debut as HPU hosts Longwood in a rematch of tonight’s thriller on ESPNU this Thursday night (Feb. 17).