High Point got a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds from Zione White and ran its record to a perfect 3-0 in Big South Conference play with a 77-62 victory over Winthrop Thursday night in the Millis Center.
The win was the first in school history for the Panthers (10-4, 3-0) over the Eagles, who have won four of the last five Big South titles but dropped to 7-7 and 1-2 in the Big South with the loss.
The Panthers have now won nine of their last 10 games, and are in sole possession of first place in the Big South.
HPU scored the game's first six points and raced to a 12-3 lead after White connected on his second three-pointer just four minutes into the game. He had 17 first-half points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the floor.
The Panthers, who shot 61 percent from the field and a scorching 88 percent (7-of-8) from three-point range in the opening stanza, led by as many as 15 points before halftime (at 34-19 and 39-24). A layup by Winthrop's Marcus Cooke with 47 seconds left in the half cut HPU's halftime advantage to 39-26.
High Point picked up where it left off in the second half and put together a 12-3 run out of the break to claim its biggest lead (22 points) at 51-29 with 14:39 left on Danny Gathings' second three-pointer of the game.
The Eagles (7-7, 1-2), who played without starters Torrell Martin and Ivan Jenkins, didn't get within 13 points the rest of the way. But Winthrop refused to quit and put together a 15-7 run to pull within 71-58 after a layup by Tyrone Walker with 3:35 to go.
After a Cooke steal at the other end, Walker had an open three-pointer that would have pulled Winthrop within 10 points, but missed, and White collected the rebound to effectively end things and bring a boisterous Millis Center crowd of 1,174 to its feet.
Gathings scored 11 points for the victorious Panthers, while Jorsua Chambers and Chris Meeks notched nine points apiece. Patrick Hilliman tallied a career-high eight points and two blocks. All told, seven HPU players contributed at least seven points.
Cooke led Winthrop with 12 points off the bench, while Brandon Key also reached double-figures (10 points). Walker, who entered as the Eagles' leading scorer, missed his first nine shots and finished with six points and a game-high nine rebounds.
HPU held Winthrop to 38 percent shooting (24-of-64) in starting Big South play 3-0 for the first time in school history.
The Panthers return to the road on Saturday to meet Liberty at the Vines Center in Lynchburg (7:00 pm). The game will be broadcast live on the Liberty Channel, and live video of the game will be streamed over the Internet. Click here to watch.
