High Point got 22 points from Danny Gathings and 14 from Javier Palacios to edge Radford, 72-67, Saturday night in the Millis Center.
With the win, the Panthers (12-5, 5-1 Big South) set a school record for victories in a season since joining the Division I ranks, and tie the school record for Big South single-season wins.
The Highlanders dip to 6-9 (2-3).
HPU thwarted a Radford charge despite being held without a field goal for the final 6:08 of the game.
Whit Holcomb-Faye led all scorers with 25 points (22 of which came in the second half). Olumuyiwa Popoola (16 points) and Chris Oliver (13 points) also reached double-figures for the Highlanders.
The Panthers scored the first nine points of the game to electrify the Millis Center crowd of 2,146 (the largest to see an HPU home game this season). Gathings and Jorsua Chambers (who finished with 10 points) were responsible for the entire spurt, which closed with a thunderous jam by Gathings four minutes in. After Radford scored the next six points, the Panthers went on a 14-2 run to jump out to a 23-8 lead on Jerry Echenique's layup.
HPU held Radford to just 22 percent shooting in the first half (7-of-32), and limited Holcomb-Faye (the Conference's leading scorer) to a late three-pointer and 1-of-9 first-half shooting. The Panthers led 31-19 at the half.
RU opened the second half with three-pointers by Popoola and Holcomb-Faye to pull within 31-25, setting the tone for what would be a gripping final stanza. Following another three by HPU's Zione White, the Highs got back to back treys from Holcomb-Faye and Popoola to get within 34-31 at the 16:49 mark.
The Panthers responded with a 15-4 run to stretch their lead to 49-35 on a tip-in by Patrick Hilliman. High Point led by as many as 15 points (at 59-44) before the Highlanders found their second wind and made a charge.
Gathings threw down another dunk on an alley-oop pass from White for a 65-55 lead at the 6:08 mark. It would be the Panthers' final field-goal of the game.
Radford scored nine of the next 11 points to claw within 67-64 after Reggie McIntyre picked up a loose ball under the basket, made the layup, was fouled, missed the ensuing free throw and grabbed his own rebound with 58 seconds left. But Andre Bynum missed a layup and Gathings corralled the rebound.
RU was forced to foul and Chambers made a pair of free throws with 27 seconds to go for a 69-64 Panther lead. Holcomb-Faye took the inbounds pass, galloped down the court and calmly nailed a three with 18 seconds to go to pull the Highs within 69-67.
HPU broke the press on the other end and RU was forced to foul Gathings, who drained a pair of foul shots with 10.8 seconds to make it a two-possession game at 71-67. RU raced downcourt and threw the ball away with 4.9 seconds remaining. A Palacios free throw brought the game to its 72-67 final score.
HPU won the rebounding battle, 45-38, led by Hilliman, Gathings, and Echenique's eight boards apiece. Hilliman added a team-high two blocks for High Point, while RU's Bynum contributed seven assists and three steals.
The Panthers have a week off before a trip to face UNC Asheville on Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Justice Center (4:30 pm).
